when do chickens get broody?

[chickenmaniac]

When do chickens become broody and how can i tell? and are ready to hatch eggs?

 

[chickenmaniac]

well are ready to hatch some eggs?

 

[jmtcmkb]

Mine are 8 months and 2 of them have one broody in the past month the most recent this week and I dont want chicks, its been a battle to "unbroody" them

so as early as 8 months, not sure if they can be earlier. How will you know? believe me you'll know if you are the regular care taker. lingering on the nest longer and longer each day until finally not wanting off the nest. grumpy with the other chickens, and with you pecking and growling at anyone who comes nearby. puffing up like a turkey an making a jurassic park type sound! thats what both of my girls did. My australorp was much more reserved about it than my Orpington who is making it know in no uncertain terms she wants to sit on eggs.

Good luck!

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Even from breeds known for broodiness not all hens will go broody. Many breeds the trait has been bred out of to one degree or another though there are the odd birds of even the most productive layer strains that will still do so every now and again.

Hens are most likely to go broody in the spring or early summer though there are some that may find themselves in the mood in any season.

There is no mistaking a hen when she is well and truly in the mood. The usually well-behaved bird that doesn't linger in the nest will turn into the Dragon Queen ready to savage your hand off (or at least peck you hard) if you try to lever her out of the box. She'll fluff up and growl at you if you peek in on her.

 

[PopVultureATX]

I just looked on here for this exact question... my Barred Rock is broody, I think. She used to be the liveliest of my hens (I have three), always chasing me around in the hopes that it was feeding time. Now she just sits in the egg box all the time and makes that crazy dinosaur (Jurassic Park was a perfect descriptor) sound whenever I stick my head in the coop to see if she's in there.

She does hop out of the box to eat, so I can grab the eggs every day at some point or another. That said though, is this something that's going to pass? I just want her to be happy and to hop out/peck around like she used to. Hey- she's allowed to do whatever she wants if sitting on eggs is what floats her boat, but it just doesn't seem too fun to me.

 

[PopVultureATX]

Update: when I went out to feed my hens this evening, it was exactly the same case. She was in the box, making the angry sound. I refilled their food and water, and then just to test and see what happened, I opened the egg collection hatch and, despite her puffing up and protesting, I could easily pick her up out of the coop and put her on the ground so that I could collect the eggs. She was NOT happy, but I'm sure she'll get over it. I just hope she gets back to her lively self as opposed to sitting grumpily in a box all day on unfertilized eggs.

 

[jmtcmkb]

yes she's broody-if you are lucky simply removing her repeadedly will break her like my Australorp. If she's like my Orpington, you may need to separate her ( in a brooder or cage) for a day or so to break the broodiness and get her back to laying and being her normal sweet self

 

[chickenmaniac]

Mine are 8 months and 2 of them have one broody in the past month the most recent this week and I dont want chicks, its been a battle to "unbroody" them

so as early as 8 months, not sure if they can be earlier. How will you know? believe me you'll know if you are the regular care taker. lingering on the nest longer and longer each day until finally not wanting off the nest. grumpy with the other chickens, and with you pecking and growling at anyone who comes nearby. puffing up like a turkey an making a jurassic park type sound! thats what both of my girls did. My australorp was much more reserved about it than my Orpington who is making it know in no uncertain terms she wants to sit on eggs.

Good luck!

why would you NOT want chicks? lol
grrr mine are barely 6 months and i want me some baby chicks! haha

 

[chickenmaniac]

jmtcmkb and thanks for the info

 

[chickenmaniac]

thank you guys for the info i will definetly be checking if they develope any of those traits