Hen + rooster = broodiness?

[Eggnonymous]

Will a hen be more apt to go broody if there is a rooster?

 

[usschicago1]

I actually think it's the other way around

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Hens have their own complicated & private reasons for going broody. I really don't think that having a rooster will help encourage a hen to go broody but the rooster will insure a supply of fertile eggs for a broody hen to incubate.

Many breeds designed for egg production like Leghorns, Rhode Island Reds, Sex-Links, etc, have intentionally had the broody instinct bred out of them. If you want a hen to work making eggs for you then it's inconvenient when she decides to stop laying & start brooding for a month or more. Although hens of any breed may go broody, it's more likely to happen with breeds designed for appearance or size.

Some hens go broody more frequently than others, some may only want to brood once in their lifetime. It's triggered mostly by hormones & instinct, and the little voices only they hear in their heads.