What causes a broody hen?

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

Maybe a silly question for you, but, what causes a chicken to be broody? Thank you!

 

[DobieLover]

Maybe a silly question for you, but, what causes a chicken to be broody? Thank you!

Hormones.
It's typically seasonal.
Environment can also have an effect. Unstressed chickens are more prone to broodiness.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Hormones.
It's typically seasonal.
Environment can also have an effect. Unstressed chickens are more prone to broodiness.

Very true. I've got a total of 8-9 broodies, about 8 in the bantam coop, & 1 in the standard coop.

Never in my life I've had this many broodies at a time.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

What DobieLover said! There's no real way to force them to go broody, either, the best you can do is provide them with a save and comfortable environment and hope they decide that they want to brood. They go broody on their schedule, never on yours.

Usually they pick the most inopportune time, too, such as when you want to collect eggs from specific hens to set alongside some shipped eggs that will be arriving soon, so those specific hens are the only ones in the coop to go broody and stop laying eggs just when you want to start collecting them... Not that I have any experience with that or anything.

Man, 8-9 broodies is my normal for this time of year! I have a Silkie, three Silkie-Cochin mixes, one bantam Cochin, one large fowl Cochin, two Marans, and two Dorkings wanting to brood at the moment. There's no universe in which I need all these broodies at once!!

 

[Sassy Hen]

I believe certain breeds have a higher chance of being broody. Maybe it's just a coincidence, but I find that "the fluffier/softer-feathered hen is more likely to be a broody hen". For example my very fluffy Blue Ameraucana sometimes gets broody, and my friend's silkies are extremely overprotective broody hens. Chickens think their chicks (even though the egg might not be fertilized) will have a higher chance of survival in the spring, so that's when they like to be puffy and grumpy on their eggs.