No broody hens

[chickymel]

I have 10 hens, ranging in age from 7 mo to 18 mo. None of them seem interested in setting on eggs. They all lay and go. I also have 2 roosters in coop, father 18 mo and his son, 7 mo. Is this a normal thing for hens. Or should some body be setting? I have 5 Orp, 2 Wyandotte, 2 red sexlink and a sexlink cross. :/

 

[rockriver]

Some breeds are bred for egg production such as the sexlink when broody they do not lay so breeders have tried to breed this trait out of them that is why sexlinks almost never brood that being said orps are well known for brooding but it all depends on a hens hormones roos make no difference a hen will brood when she wants to a rooster there or not he just makes fertile eggs easy to find

 

[chickymel]

Thanks. I thought the Orps would be, that was one of the reasons I got them. One of those crazy gals even comes running out of the nest box sometimes when she hears snacks hit the ground! I just set some eggs. Have been very successful with the fertility of them but still learning through the whole incubation process. Thanks again!

 

[21hens-incharge]

It seems to be hit and miss with the orps from my experience. I have 1 out of 4 that is willing to sit eggs.
Now that being said I have 3 out of 3 bantam cochins that want to sit and are very stubborn about it.

I do know that the ones that are the sittin kind are only willing to do that when the coop dynamics are not disrupted. No new add ins and no removals of established birds. None of the chickens in my mixed lot that are setters are on the bottom or the top of the pecking order, more like the middle of the group.
It may be also that they need a little more age on them before they decide to sit. Mine were all over 2 years old when the sittin bug hit.

I hope this helps some.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

This is not usually the time of year for hens to go broody, some will but most will wait a couple of months yet, so wait for spring to see, as far as Orpingtons and being broody, I have only had one ever go broody out of about ten. You want some bantams if you want birds that are constantly broody.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I have 10 hens, ranging in age from 7 mo to 18 mo. None of them seem interested in setting on eggs. They all lay and go. I also have 2 roosters in coop, father 18 mo and his son, 7 mo. Is this a normal thing for hens. Or should some body be setting? I have 5 Orp, 2 Wyandotte, 2 red sexlink and a sexlink cross.

The first 7 hens should sit in good time. The last 3 hens may never sit. Broodyness is a natural response to a chickens environment and is timed to coincide with her egg laying and the time of year that a hen can best expect success at rearing chicks.

Like the previous poster said, hens keep their own timetable when it comes to sitting, that is why baby chicks and Easter are so tightly linked.

Hens begin sitting after they have laid a given number of eggs, and every hen will lay more or lay fewer eggs, which ever suits her.

 

[aart]

Where are you located? Wondering if it's winter where you are.

They never go broody when you want them too. SHM.