Need help from experienced chicken husbandry people. Topic Broody Hens.

[crescentloft]

My pullets just started to lay at about 23 weeks, not all are laying yet. When exactly will a hen go broody? Can a young hen go broody or are broody hens typically old hens? Is there any chance I could get a broody hen this spring?

 

[Parismymare]

It all depends on breeds. If you bought hybrids, stars and sexlink are a few, or breeds like a leghorn, no they will not brood since it is not in their gentics. If you have ortametial breeds like silkies, frizzels, and showgirls, then yes those are some of the best 3. If you bought traditional breeds like RIR and Orpingtons, and sussex, then odds are with you.

 

[crescentloft]

Buff Orpingtons and Blue Wheaten Ameraucana's so are you saying they could go broody this spring?

 

[lclough1998]

Does anyone think that broodiness in full size hens is linked with wether or not there is a rooster? I have a rooster in with orpingtons, delawares, buckeyes, and some mixed hen. I have had them for a year and none have gone broody. My twin, who has lots of hens, all kinds of breeds, marans, phoenix, delaware, sussex and she has 7 broodies right now, she has bought eggs for each one, she is so kind to them. no rooster there, lots of broodies.
anyway back to topic, some of her broodies had just started laying, some older, my silkies started going broody just after we got them last april, they were under a year, they each have been broody 4 times in less then a year.

 

[sourland]

I personally think that broodiness is solely linked to the genetic background of the hen. A rooster has no involvement with the onset of broodiness. Well, he can assure fertile eggs, but still he does not 'cause' broodiness.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Buff Orpingtons and Blue Wheaten Ameraucana's so are you saying they could go broody this spring?

They could, depending on where you got them and how old they are. If you have breeder lines, they will be more likely to go broody than hatchery lines. Hatcheries breed for egg production, so a lot of the time, broodiness gets bred out of them. Not saying it's impossible, just less likely than breeder lines.

My first broody was a 7 month old pure Ameraucana. So they can go broody at a young age. But my 2 other pure Ameraucana's have never gone broody. So it's just the luck of the draw.

 

[lclough1998]

I personally think that broodiness is solely linked to the genetic background of the hen. A rooster has no involvement with the onset of broodiness. Well, he can assure fertile eggs, but still he does not 'cause' broodiness.

I was thinking a rooster kept them from going broody. I was told,dont know if its true, that the commercial chicken places keep a rooster with the hen to keep them laying eggs.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote: Whoever told you that doesn't know a darn thing about chickens.

Having a rooster in the flock or not has nothing to do with a hen going broody. It is a hormonal change in the hen and she will go broody with or without a rooster, with or without eggs. (don't believe me, search broody sitting on a pecan nut here)

Also, just as a human woman doesn't need a man to ovulate, neither does a chicken hen. She will lay eggs just fine without a rooster around. The rooster fertilizes the eggs so they are viable to hatch. No rooster, no hatching of eggs.

 

[gryeyes]

Whoever told you that doesn't know a darn thing about chickens.

Having a rooster in the flock or not has nothing to do with a hen going broody. It is a hormonal change in the hen and she will go broody with or without a rooster, with or without eggs. (don't believe me, search broody sitting on a pecan nut here)

Also, just as a human woman doesn't need a man to ovulate, neither does a chicken hen. She will lay eggs just fine without a rooster around. The rooster fertilizes the eggs so they are viable to hatch. No rooster, no hatching of eggs.

What Happy C,hooks said. Right now, there's a thread with the mention of a broody hen trying very hard to hatch a golf ball. Her owner will replace the golf ball with fertile eggs purchased elsewhere. My flock has always had at least one, and sometimes up to 18 cockerels and/or roosters. My BO hen went broody the first time at 6.5 months, only 3 weeks after she started laying. She hatched my very first GrandChick. She's been broody three times in two years. I've had six other hens go broody once, so far, in that same two years. I don't have any hens older than 3 years, and there are quite a few "just" layers in amongst the dual-purpose breeds. Also, Buffy was a feed store chick from a hatchery. Two Sebright hens went broody. A few EEs have gone broody. One Welsummer hen went broody. A bantam dark Brahma hen went broody. Right now, I have an EE mix pullet who has gone broody. There are people who have never had broody hens in their flocks. It's totally up to hen genetics.

 

[thegreypony]

We have 2 Buff Orps & a teensie bantam of unknown heritage whose broody switches flip all the time. One of the BO, Thelma Lou, raises 2-3 hatches a year. The only roo we've ever had is a now 9 month old cockerel the other BO, Helen, hatched last summer. The bantam, Lacie, pals around with the BOs and will set alongside them in the same nest box. Sometimes we give her a couple eggs of her own and the chicks are raised by both mommas with Lacie actually shoving herself up under the BO.

Agree with what others have said about it being particular hens. These are the ONLY hens we have ever had to go broody. They are great mommas, plain & simple, and they seem to LOVE being mommas. You've got BOs so maybe you'll see some broodiness - but maybe not. I've got friends w/BOs who've never had one go broody. Broody hens are fun until you really need one to NOT be broody and then good luck with that...some of them will not be dissuaded regardless.