Why can a broody......

[Ruthster55]

OK, if a hen cannot be "induced" to go broody, which makes sense, if one wanted to hatch fertile eggs under a hen, how does one manage that? My little black bantam has been on the nest for 2 weeks with no sign of changing her mind. This is the 3rd time for this behavior and by far the longest. Doesn't seem there are so many options to get hatching eggs, but I'd love to be able to utilize her natural inclination if I understand how to time it all out.

Basically, you work with someone nearby who regularly has hatching eggs for sale. That might be a friend who has a lot of chickens, or someone who advertises chickens and eggs frequently on Craigslist or talks about their hatching eggs in your state or local forum here. Or maybe it could be someone you met last year at a poultry swap and they gave you their number. (Don’t try FB - they crack down hard on anything like an egg that could possibly or maybe under very special conditions, be an ‘animal’).

Once the new broody has been on the nest for a day or so, call the person who sells the hatching eggs you want and meet the person and buy them. The person will probably ask to meet you in an easily-found public place rather than at their farm (for biosecurity and general safety reasons).

Then, slip those precious eggs AT NIGHT under the backside of your broody hen. Don’t let her see the eggs or peck them. It’s better for her to feel the lovely eggs under her than to see you introduce them.

I wouldn’t wait for the hen to be broody two weeks already. That’s pretty rough on the hen, because you would be asking her to set for a total of five weeks. You’re probably OK if the hen has been setting on nothing for 1 day to a week.

Because the broody hen something you need to address pretty quickly, it’s easiest to work with either someone you know or someone who sells hatching eggs on a regular basis, not just once every few months.

This may only be a problem for a few months or if you want a new breed, because as your flock grows, you will probably have enough eggs of your own to put under the hen, even if she is just setting on straw.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

X2
I wouldn't put eggs under her now. A hen sitting for 5 or 6 weeks is a bad idea.
I'd break her broodiness and be ready next time she wants to sit.

 

[3KillerBs]

OK, if a hen cannot be "induced" to go broody, which makes sense, if one wanted to hatch fertile eggs under a hen, how does one manage that? My little black bantam has been on the nest for 2 weeks with no sign of changing her mind. This is the 3rd time for this behavior and by far the longest. Doesn't seem there are so many options to get hatching eggs, but I'd love to be able to utilize her natural inclination if I understand how to time it all out.

That depends on how particular you are about breeds. If you just want some chickens of some kind you can ask whoever you might know who has a flock with a rooster for some eggs. Or, if there are people selling eggs at a farmer's market you can ask them if their eggs are fertile.

I have heard of breeders selling eggs and of eggs being available on eBay too.

 

[Sammy1122]

Maybe I’m the only one, I try raising the chicks exactly like the mothers do, even using soem of the same sounds and etc, all my chicks, Id weather is doable, are outside within the first few days, I havent lost a chick in forever,and I still have a flock 10 hens who are still around which si stare because you usually always lose own or two,I also ahve a flock of 7 That reaches 5 months and have not lost one, knock on wood.

 

[Cee]

A full explanation requires a lot of reading of the supporting evidence and quite a lot of further explanation. Let’s see if I can present a simplified explanation without making too much of a mess of it.

There is a theory, with a great deal of supporting evidence that most creatures use something called an investment strategy when choosing when to procreate, and who with. The various factors that go to influence this strategy vary from species to species but the bottom line is, the investor, in this case the hen, is looking to pass on the ‘best’ genetic traits that will help to ensure the survival of her offspring.

Most creatures also have some form of fertility control. This may be as simple as running away from the attentions of an unsuitable mate to various forms of what we would call birth control. Female rats for example have the ability to increase, or decrease their reproductive capacity. If the rat population to which she belongs is declining she can speed up her reproductive cycle to produce more baby rats to maintain a nominal population.

Humans also have the ability to make judgments when it comes to an investment strategy. As a somewhat trite example, it is not uncommon to hear a women say that her boyfriend is super cute, but not father material. I think that’s politely put. In effect she’s making an investment strategy judgment.

Chickens are quite complicated compared to many other creatures when it comes to an investment strategy. They are also far more intelligent and versatile then they are given credit in general for when making a decision about when to sit and hatch and who should fertilise their eggs.

Poor popular science for example would have us believe from laboratory experiences that the size of a roosters comb is a major contributing factor in a hens choice of mate. It may indeed be true in a laboratory because the hen doesn’t have much more information to go on. In a natural setting where there may be multiple roosters and unlimited freedom of movement the hen gets many more clues as to the roosters suitability as a father.

Hens also have the ability to eject the sperm from the unwanted attentions of a rooster. So, even if she is forced to mate with say a junior or rouge rooster, she can terminate the fertilisation of her egg. She may also fight the uninvited rooster off and failing all else run away, or jump into a tree where the rooster is unable to make the neck grab needed to make her crouch for mating.
The hen has lots of options.

Having such a wide range of options and watching the behaviour of feral and free range chickens it becomes apparent that hens are choosy about who they mate with and under which circumstances.

I could type out pages of examples of hens choosing their rooster and each page would include a different criteria. However, there are some basic components to choosing a mate that in general have applied to most of the hens here.

The senior rooster of a flock, or in my case tribes is generally preferred by the hens. The logic is simple, he didn’t get to be senior by luck in most cases. The senior rooster, in the right keeping conditions will offer both her and any chicks a higher level of protection from other flock members and predators.

Having the senior rooster as dad means the flock or tribe will be able to access more resources such as best forage spots, dust baths and shelter than some young upstart of a cockerel. The hen has it seems the ability to take these factors into account when choosing a mate. There are I believe many factors that influence the hens choice right down to the rooster being a nice chap.

From what I and others have observed it would seem that a hen may plan to reproduce long before she goes broody. It would take pages to explain why some believe this so just accept this as my and a few others observations possibly relevant to out keeping circumstances.

It seems reasonable if humans can plan, much of the planning may be at a subconscious level when to have children and there is evidence that other creatures may do this then it is also possible that hens can, particularly when all their other investment strategy tools are taken into account.

For humans basics are having a male to breed with. Not a lot of point in going broody if you can’t get your eggs fertilised. Having an ample supply of food available is important for any species. Having the protection provide by a male is also a factor. There are many factors that could be relevant but what needs to be born in mind is the factors change with environmental circumstances.

So, in theory if one wants to encourage a hen to go broody then one needs to think about all the factors that may help to promote the feeling/drive to reproduce and as can hopefully see from my explanation above, a rooster is one of those factors.

Thank you!! Do you have titles of some books you recommend? I am an avid reader, am particularly interested in behavior. At the moment, cockerel and rooster behavior.
I have 4 four month old cockerels (broodmates) and 17 five month old pullets. I am trying to get in front of all the possible problems. Including which one or two cockerels to keep.

 

[Shadrach]

Thank you!! Do you have titles of some books you recommend? I am an avid reader, am particularly interested in behavior. At the moment, cockerel and rooster behavior.
I have 4 four month old cockerels (broodmates) and 17 five month old pullets. I am trying to get in front of all the possible problems. Including which one or two cockerels to keep.

I don't I'm sorry to write. I have yet to find a decent book on chicken behaviour which is one of the reasons I've written one. It just isn't published yet.
However, if you look through my articles page there are some on chicken behaviour. For roosters there is this.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/understanding-your-rooster.75056/

 

[lifein1840]

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

I play youtube videos of chicks chirping and leave it in the coop. I also leave eggs in the nest until evening....usually works, but then, I have Speckled Sussex and Dorkings - easiest broodies I have ever had!!

 

[lifein1840]

Jealous.

Try Dorkings if you can find them. They not only go broody very often, but they are really good mommas and stay with the chicks longer that any other breed I have tried!

 

[Cee]

I don't I'm sorry to write. I have yet to find a decent book on chicken behaviour which is one of the reasons I've written one. It just isn't published yet.
However, if you look through my articles page there are some on chicken behaviour. For roosters there is this.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/understanding-your-rooster.75056/

Wow. Well, I'd be first in line to buy! I'll keep reading articles here in the meantime.

 

[centrarchid]

I am picky about feeds used for brooder phase, and I supplement where possible with greens / fruit and insects. When transitioned to pens outside, I make so they have lots of cover patches and quality forage that promotes them moving well away from pens. Still, broods with hens have very different movement patterns. I even see impacts of movement related to breed of hens.