Why can a broody......

[ariri30]

EDIT- Are there broody pills that I can give to my chickens to get them to go broody or something?

I wonder, do hens groom their chicks? Are they possibly preening away any mess before pasty butt could build up?

i seen my do it

 

[margaretbyrd]

The ironic thing is that most breeders (commercial) have bred out broodiness in many breeds, making it so rare. Is that for money so that people have to buy an incubator or more chicks?

Certain other breeds are good to keep just for broodiness. Some of the older breeds seem to always be broody. When I get a hen that wants to raise chicks I keep her around as long as she lasts.

 

[Vicker]

No. I only ever had one buff go broody and she only did it once in 7 years.
My bantam black cochin is my best most consistent broody. She turned 11 this year.

Your buffs were an anomaly. They have gone broody on me for years.

 

[Vicker]

Ah, poop. I'll have to email McMurray about putting the Light Brahma in the broody category. They were the only ones available at the time, however. Can Buff Orpingtons go broody easily?

Buff Orpingtons most definitely are known to go broody. It happens to me every year with different individuals. I have three this year, with one or two of them constantly wanting to raise some chicks. One right now is particularly hard to break the spell. She is not healthy because she just wants to sit in the nestbox. I once placed day old chicks under a buff and she raised them. I tried 3 day old chicks with a broody buff but she didn't stay with them enough.

 

[MClean417]

A good portion of the add for many birds is "Doesn't go Broody" and folks buy them. This is really no problem YOU get to be the broody one with a bunch of egg production that doesn't get interrupted. That also means YOU DON'T get to be the one to get pecked at, growled at and called everything except a child of god by what, a 2-4 pound of what used to be chicken but now is just plain meaness? You haven't been brow beat till you've had a barely 2+ pound Polish hen put you in your place. They'll do it. We have Orlaffs, Polish, Easter eggers, an Olive egger, Sexlink and Orpingtons. I haven't seen the Orps ever go broody. I had to break an Orlaff from being broody last year and she and a sister went broody this year. Several Easter eggers went broody and we let one hatch out a group of eggs. Only had 4 hatch, 1 didn't make it and of course it looks like 2 of the 3 are roosters, sigh. Cute is having two broody polish, sitting side by side in the nesting box. You really don't know which way they're going to peck at ya from that way, wear gloves!
Like wheat bread, mankind has grown up for quite some time with chickens. One of the reasons is the ease of care for this bird that provides meat and eggs for really table scraps and some grain. We treat them better now mearly because we can. We find it fun to watch them explore and run around in the backyard BUT in the winter time, they are perfectly happy to hang inside their run, sometimes they barely come out of the coup. So don't feel too bad raising them up in a brooder and introducing them to the wonders of grass. But, look into breeds that do go broody, get a couple of those hens and realize there is rarely anything as cute as watching a baby chicks head come popping up behind a momma's wing.
And watch Mary Karl play with all her chickens on Cog Hill Farms youtube channel if you want to see how to handle chicks right.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Your buffs were an anomaly. They have gone broody on me for years.

In about 20 years of keeping chickens and around 20 buffs in those years I still only ever had one go broody.

Each bird is an individual.

 

[Vicker]

In about 20 years of keeping chickens and around 20 buffs in those years I still only ever had one go broody.

Each bird is an individual.

I think the climate influences the hormones that make them broody. We have warm-hot weather here most of the time.

 

[donnamay]

Yes my bantam black chickens are the most broody. Also silkies and wyandottes are quite broody as well.

 

[MarkJr]

Is everyone’s broody nasty tempered???

Mine squawks at me, but I’m able to remove eggs that others laid in her box. Check her to make sure she’s healthy, etc. Gentle peck once or twice but that’s it.

 

[SBFChickenGirl]

Is everyone’s broody nasty tempered???

Mine squawks at me, but I’m able to remove eggs that others laid in her box. Check her to make sure she’s healthy, etc. Gentle peck once or twice but that’s it.

Both of my broody hens this year were actually quite nice. They let me get under them to candle eggs and only screeched at me a little. No pecking. It was a nice surprise, since I've heard of broody hens going all out, the screeching and the dangerous pecking.