Most likely breedy month

[irongate]

I am going to order chicks to place under a broody hen. Does anyone know if there is a month that is more likely for a hen to go broody? I'm asking because we order last year and had one hen go broody too early and then despite all my efforts no hens went broody for us and I had to cancel my chick order.

 

[GodLovesU]

Why don’t you just order some fertile eggs for your broody to hatch?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I am going to order chicks to place under a broody hen. Does anyone know if there is a month that is more likely for a hen to go broody? I'm asking because we order last year and had one hen go broody too early and then despite all my efforts no hens went broody for us and I had to cancel my chick order.

For me there's no "most likely month" as it depends completely on the individual hens and even they can vary from year to year.

If possible, wait for the hen to go broody then order chicks from a hatchery that can deliver about the time she would otherwise be hatching her brood for the best success adopting them to her. The difficulty in this then becomes getting the breeds you actually want or settling for what isn't already sold out and hoping it's a breed you desire. Thankfully there are several hatcheries to choose from!

Best wishes!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I am going to order chicks to place under a broody hen. Does anyone know if there is a month that is more likely for a hen to go broody? I'm asking because we order last year and had one hen go broody too early and then despite all my efforts no hens went broody for us and I had to cancel my chick order.

In my flock, anywhere between March and November is my normal window

 

[No Coop No Problem]

Each hen is unique, in fact I have a hen that went broody yesterday in this cold snap. In a general sense though most of my hens start going broody around two weeks before spring arrives, and also during the start of spring there's a huge broody explosion

 

[rosemarythyme]

My broodies never match up to when we get chicks. I'd plan on brooding yourself, and if by happy accident you get a broody that matches up with when chicks arrive, then that should take care of things for you (and bonus, you'd already have the brooder set up in case she's not suitable or she refuses to accept the chicks).