I never really know when to expect my only hatching hen Raven to get broody, but it’s typically at the very very beginning of spring. Then she’ll just do her thing, hatching 2 chicks everytime (never more never less weirdly enough). We have at least 10+ hens laying every day, but she just kicks them out. Raven is a black Orpington, she’s turning 4 (I believe) this year. She’s the only hen we have ever trusted to hatch chicks. She does amazing raising them, and is super protective but also friendly.
This year she was hatching 2 duck eggs, but we have a cannibal chicken issue, so we came to check on her and the eggs one day and there was only one duck egg, I moved the duck egg into the incubator inside, and replaced it with 3 small white hen eggs, but same thing happened, there was only one when we checked on her one day. But she has been super protective of this one egg, and it’s doing great. I know people will tell me to move it into an incubator, but I prefer letting Raven take care of them. This year she’s hatching in the duck nesting box for some reason, it might just be easier for her age.
View attachment 4103203this an old picture of her with 2 chicks she hatched.