When does one know...?

[BigBlueHen53]

I Have 2 Orpingtons, 2 Wyandotte, 2 Barred Rocks, and a Leghorn. It'll be interesting, as you say, to see which one will start theyre broodiness.

My money is on the Orps.

 

[chickencoop57]

One of the orpingtons or barred rocks will probably go broody the first. The other breeds, I don't think, go broody very often, if ever.

One of the orpingtons or barred rocks will probably go broody the first. The other breeds, I don't think, go broody very often, if ever.

I believe you may be right, HappyClucker7, one of them them has been acting as you described.

 

[BrandoMan]

First you need to check to see if the hen has be suscessfully mated. Crack one of the eggs and look at the yoke. If its been fertile it should have a white bullseye. Not just a white spot but a small spot with white ring around it. if so then stop collecting eggs if you want them to go broody and sit. Once she gets like 8 to 10 eggs, sometimes less and sometimes more she will start to sit on them and go broody. Chickens dont lay a egg and sit and then lay another and sit. They lay a clutch of them and then sit and once those eggs reach a specific temp from being sat on they start to develop. Plan on it being like two weeks for her to get her desired clutch size before she sits on them then just wait. if they are fertile they will hatch.

 

[chickencoop57]

One of the Orp's, I forgot to mention, HappyClucker7.

 

[chickencoop57]

First you need to check to see if the hen has be suscessfully mated. Crack one of the eggs and look at the yoke. If its been fertile it should have a white bullseye. Not just a white spot but a small spot with white ring around it. if so then stop collecting eggs if you want them to go broody and sit. Once she gets like 8 to 10 eggs, sometimes less and sometimes more she will start to sit on them and go broody. Chickens dont lay a egg and sit and then lay another and sit. They lay a clutch of them and then sit and once those eggs reach a specific temp from being sat on they start to develop. Plan on it being like two weeks for her to get her desired clutch size before she sits on them then just wait. if they are fertile they will hatch.

That makes sense but what I worry about is leaving the egg's in the nest, that long, in this almost 100 degree temps. Wont the eggs go bad? And as far as fertile, the rooster seems to tap them everyday, so they should be fertile, don't you think?

 

[BrandoMan]

you should be having the nest in a dark area where she can be left alone so shouldnt go bad. Just cause he tapping it doesnt really mean they fertile. People be getting tapped everyday and dont get prego. Now of course there is signs they getting mated but the cracking the egg open to check just makes sure they areactually fertile. When she does go broody she wont leave her nest often. maybe once a day or once every two days to eat/drink and poop. And you will know its her too cause its gonna be a epic and smelly poop too. If she doesnt feel her nest is safe she might never go broody. Some breeds never do. Some that arent supposd to go broody will and sometimes you have a hen breed that supposed to go broody often but your doesnt. Id let a few go broody so you can move the eggs around if you have to. like say you have two broody hens trying to hatch eggs and one lays 6 and the other layed 15 and its apparent that 15 is to many for the one hen you an move a few to the other one that only has 6. or you get a hen that went broody but decided she didnt want to sit on them any more you could move those eggs between the other broody ones.

 

[Vickischics]

Here's how I knew my BO Poppy was broody:

NO LOOKING AT ME MAMA!!!
She sounds like Ewok! Lol. Poor girlie!! LOL Too cute for words. That was a Great example! Thank you for sharing. I'm still chuckling lol

 

[Aunt Angus]

NO LOOKING AT ME MAMA!!!
She sounds like Ewok! Lol. Poor girlie!! LOL Too cute for words. That was a Great example! Thank you for sharing. I'm still chuckling lol

And she's an Orp!

I think of broodies as angry pancakes.

 

[aart]

Here's how I knew my BO Poppy was broody:

HA! Some of mine do that just sitting in nest to lay!

That makes sense but what I worry about is leaving the egg's in the nest, that long, in this almost 100 degree temps. Wont the eggs go bad? And as far as fertile, the rooster seems to tap them everyday, so they should be fertile, don't you think?

Use fake eggs as 'bait'. Not sure I'd let a bird hatch in that kind of heat.

Check the yolks when you break eggs to eat,

When I have a broody I wait until she's been in the nest most the day and all night for 2-3 days...along with those other signs I posted.

Then I put her in the broody enclosure with fake eggs in the floor nest, she won't like being moved, but if she is truly good and broody she will settle onto the new nest within a half a day.
Then I give her fresh fertile eggs and mark the calendar.

I like them separated by wire from the flock, it's just easier all around.
No having to mark eggs and remove any additions daily, no taking up a laying nest, no going back to the wrong nest after the daily constitutional.

I remove barrier about one week after hatch. The chicks are usually safe it's the broody who has to 'fight' her way back into the pecking order...which can be quick or take a few days.

Lots of space helps for re-integration.

 

[Aunt Angus]

HA! Some of mine do that just sitting in nest to lay!

That screaming behavior was not Poppy's norm. She's usually very quiet and docile, even when on the nest. That's how I knew. Silly thing...