I find that different hens have different degrees of broodiness, and a wide range of mothering instincts & skills. Some will go broody on a very regular, brief cycle, others will go only once a year. Some can be broken in just a few days, others take longer. I use a wire-bottomed cage so they can get a nice breeze up under their bottoms, that seems to help. I have a rescued parrot cage on a wire stand that works well for this. We call it the Broody Buster.
I don't know if other hens have their broody mood triggered by seeing other hens brood, it could be coincidence, maybe not. They are inspired to lay their eggs in nest boxes where they see other eggs, so who knows if their broodiness is also subject to this power of suggestion? But if you don't want your hens to brood, or others to "catch it", then separate them into your own Broody Buster right away.
Lately I've been letting my broodies incubate eggs even though I don't plan to keep the chicks. Once they're grown I'll sell/give away the pullets & invite the cockerels to dinner.
It's fun to watch the hens incubate & raise their chicks. I will separate them while they're brooding, so other hens won't come in & interrupt them, and so they won't get misdirected while on a break and return to the wrong nest. But I've never had to take a hen off the nest to remind her to eat, drink or poop, they can regulate the timing for that all by themselves.
I don't know if other hens have their broody mood triggered by seeing other hens brood, it could be coincidence, maybe not. They are inspired to lay their eggs in nest boxes where they see other eggs, so who knows if their broodiness is also subject to this power of suggestion? But if you don't want your hens to brood, or others to "catch it", then separate them into your own Broody Buster right away.
Lately I've been letting my broodies incubate eggs even though I don't plan to keep the chicks. Once they're grown I'll sell/give away the pullets & invite the cockerels to dinner.
It's fun to watch the hens incubate & raise their chicks. I will separate them while they're brooding, so other hens won't come in & interrupt them, and so they won't get misdirected while on a break and return to the wrong nest. But I've never had to take a hen off the nest to remind her to eat, drink or poop, they can regulate the timing for that all by themselves.
