Normal broody hen behaviour?

[Jake v8]

Recently 5 of my 9 hens have gone broody. Ones already hatched out chicks and the others are sitting or getting ready to sit, why is this? The reason I ask is because of the ages of the birds and the breeds. None of the breeds are famous(3 are hatchery strain pure breeds) for going broody and all are under a year old. Two are even leghorn mixes with mostly leghorn in them. This is a new batch of hens and I’ve never seen chickens all go broody at once like this, at this age. I’m just curious, any ideas as to why this is happening all at the same time with young birds?

 

[The Chickens' Maid]

So y'know that time in your 20s when all your friends all suddenly start having babies and they look so cute and the little clothes are so adorable and you start thinking mayyybeeee . . . this is the chicken version, enjoy

(they might be broody because all the others are broody and it just caught on, doesn't mean they'll brood for long though, sometimes the non-broody breeds do it for a bit and then get bored)

 

[rosemarythyme]

Folks do joke that broodiness is contagious. It isn't, not really, but there may be something about hens who are already hormonally heading in that direction hearing the peeps of chicks, where that pushes them over the edge. Impossible to say if that's actually true or not, as I don't think it's been studied, but last 2 times I brooded chicks (I brood them outside in view of the adults) a hen went broody after a few weeks. So who knows?

 

[Jake v8]

That does make sense as all the hens went broody after the first chicks hatched out not during the incubation but right after

 

[sean_wonder]

Was about to say the same as everyone else. It's like they catch the baby bug. I have a girl who goes broody so often she hardly ever lays, and one that goes broody sometimes. The two of their "broody cycles" randomly lined up one day and another of my girls went broody for the first and only time ever! LOL

 

[Ridgerunner]

Two are even leghorn mixes with mostly leghorn in them. This is a new batch of hens and I’ve never seen chickens all go broody at once like this, at this age. I’m just curious, any ideas as to why this is happening all at the same time with young birds?

5 out of 9! That's worse than I ever saw it and I breed mine to go broody.

With them being mixes it doesn't sound like they are from a hatchery themselves though their parents may be. I assume they are all from the same place?

Some breeds are known to not go broody much but that does not mean that some hen of that breed will never go broody. Believe it or not a rooster can contribute genetics that can trend one of his daughters to go broody. My big jump in getting mine to go broody more often was when I kept a rooster that hatched from an egg laid by a broody hen. After a couple of years every hen went broody at least once a year. Some multiple times a year.

The most I've ever had out of 8 hens was for three to go broody at the same time. There have been several times I had one go broody and no others did for a long time.

Some people claim a hen is more likely to go broody if you let eggs build up in a nest. I've tried that a few times but it never did work for me. I feel that there are probably several different things that might trigger a hen to go broody. I also believe that each hen is unique. They can have different triggers.

I don't know what is going on with your hens or pullets. I suspect broodiness is in their genetic background. Obviously something is triggering them to go broody. I think it is more coincidence than anything else that so many would go broody together but that is the way the odds work. About once every one hundred times that one in a hundred chance comes through.

 

[Jake v8]

The two leghorn mixes come from a local hobby farm. The others I got as chicks from a hatchery.

 

[CrystalAnon]

Folks do joke that broodiness is contagious. It isn't, not really, but there may be something about hens who are already hormonally heading in that direction hearing the peeps of chicks, where that pushes them over the edge. Impossible to say if that's actually true or not, as I don't think it's been studied, but last 2 times I brooded chicks (I brood them outside in view of the adults) a hen went broody after a few weeks. So who knows?

That’s actually a great idea!! I want one of my hens to go broody!! Maybe I’ll play chick peeps for them while they’re sitting to lay an egg!!! I LOVE it!!

 

[Mrs. K]

My first broody was a breed that was never suppose to go broody. I learned a lot, she got exasperated with my human ideas but did not give up.

I had a pair of BO's go within a day of each other, hatched and raised them together. Chicks were everywhere.

I have noted, kind of, sort of, I tend to get bloodies, late May, early June, July, and then September/October. Really I have only had one do July.

As for causing them to go broody - I have tried. With proven hens that do go broody. Tried the pile of eggs, tried the confining to a nest...nada - It is entirely up to the broody Gods.

But this I know, nothing is more fun than a broody hen with chicks.

Mrs K

 

[CrystalAnon]

My first broody was a breed that was never suppose to go broody. I learned a lot, she got exasperated with my human ideas but did not give up.

I had a pair of BO's go within a day of each other, hatched and raised them together. Chicks were everywhere.

I have noted, kind of, sort of, I tend to get bloodies, late May, early June, July, and then September/October. Really I have only had one do July.

As for causing them to go broody - I have tried. With proven hens that do go broody. Tried the pile of eggs, tried the confining to a nest...nada - It is entirely up to the broody Gods.

But this I know, nothing is more fun than a broody hen with chicks.

Mrs K

Nice to know your experience of when they go broody. Not sure where you live, but I live in Florida. I would think it too hot in June or July here, but who knows. Maybe they’ll like it hot out, so the chicks are good without mamma’s warmth for a while.