Why can a broody......

[Pullet Press]

Faverolles go broody alot, out of my bunch only two haven't.
They are serious though and need a decent amount of their own space to brood for everyone around them to have any peace.

Yeah, and Faverolles are such pretty birds!

 

[Mimi13]

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

I have never witnessed a broody grooming the chicks, and I’ve not seen the chicks grooming themselves as early as pasty butt takes hold. I’ve actually watched for this because I wondered the exact same thing. I honestly think pasty butt is a stress related thing! Obviously being kicked around by a broody doesn’t fall under the stressful category for chicks?

 

[The Happster]

I've seen broodies pecking dirt off chicks, actually tugging at it, but no. It would leave some remnants we would notice.
Actually my last broody hatched chick did have pasting. I had to constantly check and clean it. After a few weeks he grew out of it.

 

[MarkJr]

I’m glad I’m not the only one that’s noticed the broody punting a chick 3’ and it running right back for more.
Doesn’t take long for their timing to match. Scratch-scratch-scratch.... run in for inspection. Momma raises up. Clear area!!! Repeat....

 

[SBFChickenGirl]

So all of this means I should just get an incubator... and possibly a bantam cochin?

Yeah XD. I've had three broodies in my 8 years of chicken keeping. Two this summer.
My first was a Golden Comet. (Which was a HUGE surprise.)
Second was a Belgian Bearded D'anver.
Third was a bantam cochin.

I've also heard that Silkies are crazy broodies, as well as game birds.

 

[Shadrach]

So really, it just depends on your chickens. Could you induce broodiness by having a bunch of fertile or nest eggs under her? I'm hoping so.

Maybe.
I read a lot of 'broodiness has been bred out of chickens' type comments. If it has, then one doesn't really have a chicken. Reproduction is so fundamental to being any creature that if and once it's gone, without human intervention the species is dead.
None of the chickens here went broody for six years prior to me moving here. The eggs were taken away more or less as soon as they got laid. The chickens were kept 24/7 in a coop or coops and replacements were 'made' using an incubator.
Within a year of trashing the incubator, letting the chickens free range and not taking their eggs I had first one broody and now almost ten years later I'm cursed by broodiness.
A rooster seems to help. It's one of the ways the local chicken keepers here encourage broodiness in new flocks.
Another is to introduce a broody hen from another flock and let her sit and hatch. It seems that the idea catches on.
Don't listen to people who tell you that hatchery stock and others have the broodiness bred out of them. There are plenty of examples on these forums of hatchery hens who apparently won't go broody going broody.
It's not just about genetics and the drive to reproduce is so basic and so essential that many with years of experience, particularly in trying to reestablish endangered breeds have successfully got non broody species to sit and hatch.
Whether you can do it in your circumstances and your hens, or whether others have managed in their circumstances etc is another matter.

 

[chrissynemetz]

Maybe.
I read a lot of 'broodiness has been bred out of chickens' type comments. If it has, then one doesn't really have a chicken. Reproduction is so fundamental to being any creature that if and once it's gone, without human intervention the species is dead.
None of the chickens here went broody for six years prior to me moving here. The eggs were taken away more or less as soon as they got laid. The chickens were kept 24/7 in a coop or coops and replacements were 'made' using an incubator.
Within a year of trashing the incubator, letting the chickens free range and not taking their eggs I had first one broody and now almost ten years later I'm cursed by broodiness.
A rooster seems to help. It's one of the ways the local chicken keepers here encourage broodiness in new flocks.
Another is to introduce a broody hen from another flock and let her sit and hatch. It seems that the idea catches on.
Don't listen to people who tell you that hatchery stock and others have the broodiness bred out of them. There are plenty of examples on these forums of hatchery hens who apparently won't go broody going broody.
It's not just about genetics and the drive to reproduce is so basic and so essential that many with years of experience, particularly in trying to reestablish endangered breeds have successfully got non broody species to sit and hatch.
Whether you can do it in your circumstances and your hens, or whether others have managed in their circumstances etc is another matter.

This year I had more broody hens than I knew what to do with, all sorts of breeds, all hatchery birds. I even had a broody Leghorn.

 

[NatJ]

I've heard that Yokohamas go broody regularly. Is this true? I've wanted one, so if they go broody easily, then...

The ones McMurray hatchery was selling last year sure did. 3 broodies of 4 hens, if I correctly remember what my friend told me. They were also the first to start laying (among a mixed batch of rare breeds. So no Leghorns or Sexlinks to compare with.)

 

[Shadrach]

This year I had more broody hens than I knew what to do with, all sorts of breeds, all hatchery birds. I even had a broody Leghorn.

Are Leghorns in the USA reputed to be non broody then?
It doesn't seem to be a problem in Italy. Maybe it's a cultural vibe type thing.

 

[TLCMidMichigan]

How would you,"breed out broodiness"? I really would like that answer.