If eggs left in nest, will hen go broody?

[Leslieb118]

There is nothing YOU - or anyone else, for that matter - can do to "make" a hen go broody, despite what you may have heard elsewhere. It is an instinctual response to a hormonal condition. Hens can't control it, either. They don't "decide" to go broody - if they go broody it's because their genetic make-up triggers the behavior. Honest.

Hens don't know if eggs are fertilized and can go broody on unfertilized eggs, round rocks, fake eggs, and sometimes even AIR - nothing at all in their nests.

As teach1ruls stated, eggs could be stacked to the moon, and if a hen doesn't have the tendency bred out of her "line," she will never set on those eggs to hatch 'em. On the other hand, if a hen IS broody, it takes some work to "break" her of the session - which I find cruel and will not do - because she's reacting to the increased hormonal level and instinctual response within her body.

For example, I have found hidden nests where the silly girls have gone to lay their eggs, several hens have contributed to the nest, and NOBODY went broody on 'em. One nest was well over twenty eggs, another was close to fifteen, and a third was around 9 eggs. Just hidden collections of eggs. That doesn't mean I'm the impirical keeper of all broody knowledge from those three examples, it just means Egg Collections don't trigger broodiness in my flock. Or most other folks' flocks, either.

Why waste the eggs? I don't "give" hens eggs - I take them away from them. Now, if a hen goes broody, I usually let her keep her clutch, but I do mark each egg and take away any new ones she either steals or other hens lay in her nest.

Thanks gryeyes. That's why I checked here first before I decided to experiment on my own. I really don't want to waste eggs, either. Just wanted to try with a couple to see if she even bothered with them. My gut was telling me she wouldn't do it anyway, but I was still hoping, lol. I need to get some chicks regardless, because the first chicks I got back in August ended up being mostly roosters, of which I want to keep two and get rid of 3. My son brought those home and didn't really care what they were as long as they were fuzzy and peeping! I guess I'll either wait and see if she goes broody eventually and try it then, or run over to TSC when they get them in and (fingers crossed) get several pullet chicks. Thanks again for the info!

 

[Leslieb118]

Ha! I didn't notice that you were in Louisville!! No guarantees, but if you're pretty sure her eggs are fertilized and you were really interested, you could run 2-3 of them over here this weekend and I'll stick them under her. She's been on the nest for about a week now. I was going to let her sit for three weeks and then give her the boot, but I can let her sit for an extra week if you wanted to give it a shot. I don't like her on the nest too long, because they tend to lose weight while broody (although I take her off the nest once a day to encourage her to eat/drink and I take her snacks here and there.
Or I can let you know the next time my other girl goes broody if you'd want to give it a go in the future.

Quote:

Thanks for the offer! I think I'm just going to wait and see if she goes broody on her own eventually. If not, I'm just going to get some new chicks at TSC when they come in. I'm rooster heavy right now because my son (17) wanted to raise chickens and went out and bought chicks without considering some if not all could be roosters. I'm in the process of deciding who is staying and who is going. Three are going for sure, but I've got to decide between the 3 EE roosters (all are gorgeous) and one barred rooster (not sure of breed). My frizzle cochin banty is my baby and hangs with me when I'm out there with them, so he's definitely staying. Keep me posted on how your girl is doing, though!!

 

[Alice M]

Hi Gryeyes,

I read your post and you know your stuff. My Husband have had our chickens for about a year now and we want to expand our collection...no problem...incubation...but what we really want to do is get our hens hatch their owns clutch. I was always told that a hen hatched in an incubator will not sit a nest. Is this true? I do have one hen that likes to keep her egg and seems to want to sit but later on in the day she moves and when I check the egg is cold. I have tried to just get the egg from under her, I will not do that again...lol. The breed that we have is Production Red 19 Hens and 2 Roosters in separate enclosures. Can you help?

Thank you,
Alice M

 

[kari_dawn]

Alice, I know your post was not directed at me, but broodiness is instinctual, which means that reguardless of how that hen was hatched, she still may or may not ever go broody. Production reds like hatchery new hampshires might go broody. My friend has an entire flock of hatchery new hampshires and white leghorns. The new hampshires for sure go broody for her. The leghorns on the other hand, really don't.

My orpingtons have been great broodies, though I have never given them eggs (I would like to try that eventually though!), and an OEG I had was an unstopable broody and wonderful mother (I gave her day old chicks). The closest I have ever been to an EE going broody was Waffle watching the OEG with her chicks, and beginning to practice the "I has food for you" song for herself.

 

[Alice M]

Thank you for the information I have started brain storming on how to get just my one seemingly broody hen and my handsome Mr. Rocky their own place for a while I think that I will start that this weekend. I will let you know how it turns out.
Alice M

 

[lot to learn]

I have a Wyandotte that went broody 3 weeks ago. Just a few days before her 22 eggs (not all hers) should have hatched, she switched nests. I had been too tired to collect the eggs & I guess she decided the nest with about 12 eggs looked good. Her other eggs were cold... Today she's back to the old nest, but I had removed the first eggs so these are new. I'm guessing about 5 eggs. What do I do now?