I need help from the broody magicians of BYC!

[SueT]

I live in Greece, so it gets hot super early, today the weather was around 17°C (62F I believe)

Do they take a winter break from laying? It was warmer than that here yesterday, but I believe the length of day is really important. Length of day here is now 11 hrs and 33 min.

 

[fluffycrow]

Do they take a winter break from laying? It was warmer than that here yesterday, but I believe the length of day is really important. Length of day here is now 11 hrs and 33 min.

Same here. Some of the hens do take a break, most of the girl in question do

 

[Chicken poppy]

What if the girls have enough nest boxes but only use one? So drama does stir up near the nest box, but it's the only one they use! Pretty much all the other boxes are checked

Mine do the same, i try to encourage other laying spots but if they still refuse then theres nothing you can really do about it.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I just let them do their thing and let them have plenty of dark nooks to hide a clutch in.

 

[NatJ]

You mentioned free ranging, but do you also provide food for your hens?

Laying hens usually store up some amount of fat in their bodies, and then partly live off that when they are broody (they eat some food too, but not nearly as much as usual).

I think most of the people in the USA who are posting about frequent broodies are providing free-choice access to a complete chicken feed, in addition to anything the hens might find while out foraging. I don't know whether you're already doing that too.

I don't know for sure, but I wonder if amount of stored fat might have some effect on whether a hen goes broody. I'm not recommending you actually try to make them fat, but maybe make extra-sure they have as much food as they will choose to eat.

 

[fluffycrow]

You mentioned free ranging, but do you also provide food for your hens?

Laying hens usually store up some amount of fat in their bodies, and then partly live off that when they are broody (they eat some food too, but not nearly as much as usual).

I think most of the people in the USA who are posting about frequent broodies are providing free-choice access to a complete chicken feed, in addition to anything the hens might find while out foraging. I don't know whether you're already doing that too.

I don't know for sure, but I wonder if amount of stored fat might have some effect on whether a hen goes broody. I'm not recommending you actually try to make them fat, but maybe make extra-sure they have as much food as they will choose to eat.

Yes, they have 24 hour access 7 days a week to regular chicken feed, well, layer feed

 

[NatJ]

Yes, they have 24 hour access 7 days a week to regular chicken feed, well, layer feed

In that case, considering all the other points that have already been covered, I am out of ideas.

I have no idea why they haven't gone broody, unless it's just that those specific birds never will, or if there's some variable that none of us have yet thought of

 

[CoopBoots]

What if the girls have enough nest boxes but only use one? So drama does stir up near the nest box, but it's the only one they use! Pretty much all the other boxes are checked

Hmmm. Ok. If I were desperate (and I mean truly desperate) I'd try this, bearing in mind there's every chance it would not work. I'd nix and redo the entire nesting setup. Block off or remove what the have now and provide lots of entirely NEW areas with fake eggs or real ones, not just in the coop/run either but even a few where they free range. My goal is to get hens laying separately to SOME degree so a lower level hen may still find less prime real estate that she likes and doesn't have to fight to keep private. Nine hens all wanting that same spot daily just seems untenable for any but the most aggressive and assertive hen (and it sounds like you have more than 9 hens, it's just these 9 you are focused on for your project, correct?). Different box styles just to try and check all the possible preference boxes as well, with an emphasis on dark and private. I'd consider stopping egg collection altogether for a bit too, as long as this was my last big attempt.

Outside of these very extreme measures, I'd get a mini group of something like silkies or bantams and just have surrogate broodies for your project group; maybe a hen that grows up on your property will be more at home and more likely to brood there than birds you received as pullets who have had a change in location.

 

[fluffycrow]

In that case, considering all the other points that have already been covered, I am out of ideas.

I have no idea why they haven't gone broody, unless it's just that those specific birds never will, or if there's some variable that none of us have yet thought of

Oh well, unless someone here knows how to do broody magic, I guess I have to accept the fact that these girls will probably never go broody

 

[fluffycrow]

Just yesterday I acquired three mix breed bantams, I didn't want to announce it mostly because of a recent failed attempt with some silkie chicks, but here we are. So there is some hope for me. If you'd like, @NatJ and @CoopBoots you could stop by the other thread and maybe give your suggestions on breed mixes and colors, as well as name suggestions