Very Broody coop

[puddleglumWI]

Hi all,

I have five cream legbars. I have had a lot of brooding behavior this spring. I built a broody jail out of a dog crate. I have used it three times this spring, "broke" their broodynbess, and now I have two broodies taking up my two nesting boxes.

I can't tell them apart, so it is likely that I have one or more repeat brooders, but while I had one in broody jail I had two showing signs of broodyness, but it didn't seem to take. So I have at least three out of five hens with tendencies toward broodyness, and two that are currently in full brood.

Questions:

1) Is this a spring thing, and there will be less brooding later in the year?

2) Does one brooding encourage others, some sort of hormonal/pheromone link?

3) Do I have birds who's genetics just happened to lend them heavily toward broodiness, and I will be dealing with this all the time?

Thanks,
-pg

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I too have lots of broody hens currently. It does happen more in spring, but generally a broody hen will repeatedly go broody and you will have to keep breaking her. Sometimes the stop being broody after 3-4 years, and just lay eggs, but not always.

Some breeds and lines have going broody bred out of them. Generally they are higher production breeds. If you don't want broody hens don't breed from them.

It does seem to be contagious sometimes. Breaking them as soon as possible will take less time, and hens will return to laying quicker. Just keep the pen ready.

 

[ChickQueen77]

my 3 bantam hens are broody at the same time now my silkie is also broody

 

[Karlkurla Chooks]

I too have lots of broody hens currently. It does happen more in spring, but generally a broody hen will repeatedly go broody and you will have to keep breaking her. Sometimes the stop being broody after 3-4 years, and just lay eggs, but not always.

Some breeds and lines have going broody bred out of them. Generally they are higher production breeds. If you don't want broody hens don't breed from them.

It does seem to be contagious sometimes. Breaking them as soon as possible will take less time, and hens will return to laying quicker. Just keep the pen ready.

I have a production breed hen who has gone broody three times since she was 6 months old (she is coming up to 2 years old by October this year). She's been a very good mother too when I either gave her fertile eggs to hatch, or newly hatched chicks.

But I have made a Broody Box to be ready for her going broody again.

 

[puddleglumWI]

I have thrown hens in the broody jail four times this spring. I was out of town a lot for two weeks in a row though, so a few got to be broody for some time.

I only have one broody left, she is in broody jail, and she knew right away that me coming into the garage meant she might get food. So she is definitely a repeat offender.

She will go back in the coop tomorrow. Hopefully the mass brooding is past...