To let the chicken be broody and hatch eggs or to break the broodiness?

[agapefarmfhl]

So I have a question. My wife and I currently have 6 hens that are laying eggs, We are selling about 1-2 dozen eggs per week to the public (We are in the process of starting a small farm). One of our hens went broody a few days ago so we decided to let her hatch her eggs, but now another hen wants to go broody and that is where my question lies. Should I allow both hens to go broody or stop one and only allow one to be broody. We currently get 4-6 eggs per day, but with two broody hens we will only be getting 2- 4 eggs per day, drastically decreasing what we can sell to the public. We do not currently rely on the egg sales to keep us financially stable, (I have an outside job). I am torn because it would be nice to sell the eggs but on the other hand we desire to steward these hens in a way that is natural and respectful, so would it be wrong to break her of her broodiness? I feel if I doIi am not honoring the chicken-ness of my chicken.

What do you all think?

 

[Mister B]

I would love it if a couple of my hens would go broody. You could get a couple hens to take their place if you have room. Upside is taht you could sell the chicks that hatch to pay for the extra hens.

 

[donrae]

Honoring the chicken-ness aside, it's a management decision. Humans control animal's reproduction as a matter of course, so not letting her brood isn't any bigger deal than not letting a mammal breed when she's in season.

You need to decide if...

you want more birds.
you have the space for more birds.
what you're going to do with the 50% roosters that are hatched from each hen.
you want to sacrifice some eggs now for a return later in eggs and meat.

Also keep in mind even if you break her now, it may still be a few weeks until she starts laying again.

These are things you have to decide for yourself, no one on the internet can give you the right answer for your particular situation.

 

[azygous]

Donrae has it pretty well covered! It's like family planning for the chicken coop.

One hen out of my nineteen is clockwork broody. If I had let this one hen sit on eggs each of the 11 times in her two and a half years she's gone broody, I'd have more chickens now than I could possibly manage. That's not even counting the other hens that go broody at least once a season, too.

Last year, I wanted to get a couple more Brahmas, so I let her sit on a few eggs. I got one more rooster for the trouble.

So, as a matter of practice, I beak my broodys, get them back to normal inside of a week and laying again a week or so after that. Broodys may be sweet and cute, and there's nothing like seeing a newly hatched chick peeking out from under the broody, but when it's all said and done, broodys are one big hassle.

Think it through carefully.

 

[donrae]

Donrae has it pretty well covered! It's like family planning for the chicken coop.

One hen out of my nineteen is clockwork broody. If I had let this one hen sit on eggs each of the 11 times in her two and a half years she's gone broody, I'd have more chickens now than I could possibly manage. That's not even counting the other hens that go broody at least once a season, too.

Last year, I wanted to get a couple more Brahmas, so I let her sit on a few eggs. I got one more rooster for the trouble.

So, as a matter of practice, I beak my broodys, get them back to normal inside of a week and laying again a week or so after that. Broodys may be sweet and cute, and there's nothing like seeing a newly hatched chick peeking out from under the broody, but when it's all said and done, broodys are one big hassle.

Think it through carefully.

If you get tired of her, you can always send her to me! I'd let her momma to her little heart's content

 

[agapefarmfhl]

Thank you all for your thoughts on this subject! I spoke with my wife about this and we have decided to let her be a mother and hatch some more chicks!