Okay so in November I had a buff brahma bantam go broody and hatched two babies. Then one of my black cochin bantams went broody in late December and hatched 7 babies, unfortunately 4 if them froze to death. I now have her in a dog kennel with a heatlamp and everybody is warm and happy. then my golden laced cochin bantam and my black australorpe cross went broody togeather and are on 10 eggs. The. Today I herd my other black cochin bantam clucking and clucking and clucking as if she were broody. So I placed some golf balls in her nest and sure enough later today I found her sitting on the golf balls with the broody stare. But its sooo wierd because it just snowed 4 inches last night and she still went broody!! arent they suppost to be broody in the spring?? i know have a phoenix hen who has started that broody cluck. Haha. Has anybody ever had this many broodies in the winter???
It's a hormone thing. When one is set the others usually follow, it has nothing to do with weather. You can prevent the broody "bug" from hitting the rest of the flock by placing the broody in another coop or in the house. I have found that the chicks that survive winter are usually stronger and more predator smart then the rest. (mostly because I have more predators in the winter and they get used to the cold faster.
