When Do Most Hens Go Broody

[duluthralphie]

Chickens from hatcheries have just as much chance to go broody. It's natural for them. If I want a chicken or duck to go broody I either leave them a few eggs for a few days or put out some fakes. I remember Barred rocks and brahmas being the best brooders when I had them years ago. They'd try several times a year if we left an egg in the coop more than one day.

Great minds think alike..

 

[Cln08]

Well these are my first chickens. But from what I know about birds is they lay eggs first then go broody. That seems to be what this girl did. She laid 15 eggs then went broody. She just started laying in July too.

I did not know that, lol still learning! Okay so here comes another question my rooster is always trying to mate my hens does this mean that their eggs would be fertile then??? Or how does that work because I also thought about putting some in an incubator but I don't want to waste a bunch of eggs. I have researched how to tell if they are fertile but still am learning.

 

[duluthralphie]

I did not know that, lol still learning! Okay so here comes another question my rooster is always trying to mate my hens does this mean that their eggs would be fertile then??? Or how does that work because I also thought about putting some in an incubator but I don't want to waste a bunch of eggs. I have researched how to tell if they are fertile but still am learning.

One rooster,,6 hens..the chances of finding a non-fertile egg are slim....roosters are busy little boys..

 

[Cln08]

Chickens from hatcheries have just as much chance to go broody. It's natural for them. If I want a chicken or duck to go broody I either leave them a few eggs for a few days or put out some fakes. I remember Barred rocks and brahmas being the best brooders when I had them years ago. They'd try several times a year if we left an egg in the coop more than one day.

This is good to know I will try that, I do have one barred rock I also have two white rocks and one seems to NEVER lay eggs even from the beginning she has never laid many and I'm not sure why and when I do hetveggs from under the other white rock it's mean it pecks me, but she also won't stay on the eggs so I know she isn't broody

 

[Cln08]

One rooster,,6 hens..the chances of finding a non-fertile egg are slim....roosters are busy little boys..

I have two roosters and 19 hens lol!!! And my 4 year old always yells WHY IS THE ROOSTER ON TOP OF MY CHICKEN- I tell her they like piggyback rides

 

[Cln08]

I have two roosters and 19 hens lol!!! And my 4 year old always yells WHY IS THE ROOSTER ON TOP OF MY CHICKEN- I tell her they like piggyback rides

And sonyoubare saying most eggs should be pretty fertile then

 

[duluthralphie]

2 for 19...8-9 hens each, You should still run a pretty high fertility rate.

 

[Cln08]

2 for 19...8-9 hens each, You should still run a pretty high fertility rate.

I like what I am hearing I will have to invest in a incubator and just try it out, got to start somewhere!! And maybe keep a few eggs behind innone of the buckets for the girls -although sometimes they like to break eggs which is another thing we are trying to work on!

 

[Leighe]

Any hybrid will never go broody- what breed are your chickens?

Two of my red sexlinks have gone broody and hatched their own chicks. I know it's bred out of most of them but it can happen.

 

[Leighe]

I have 6 month old hens and roosters, my roosters are always trying to mate my hens and I REALLY want baby chicks LOL when can I expect any to go broody? They all are in a coop and have a run but it also isn't fenced over the top so once they figure out how to fly out of the fence they then are free range and come back at night (my year and a half old ladies do that) my year olds have not yet went broody but are also red stars and I hear they rarely go broody!!

Waiting for your first hens to go broody is like watching for your water to boil