Why don't my chickens go broody???

[corriemartin]

We were counting on our chickens reproducing themselves? Two of our three breeds are SUPPOSED to be setters, but none of them have shown any inclination to doing so. Is there something I should be doing? We have them in a chicken tractor, with raised nesting boxes, and it gets moved every day; is that too distracting? Do they need to be in one location to get broody? Maybe we'll have to incubate and hatch them ourselves?

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Get yourself a silky, I heard they hatch rocks.

 

[Aapomp831]

If I Want mine to get broody I just leave fake eggs in the nesting box and three little bantams automatically get broody. Two were broody the other day, now there's five. One's (a orpington) been sitting on nothing for three months.

That will not cause a hen to go broody. Bantams are notorious for going broody - the eggs in the box / going broody is just a coincidence. That being said, please break her of being broody - she may get very sick and die, since broodies don’t take very good care of themselves while focusing on hatching eggs.

 

[Chickassan]

There isn't a solid answer to this question, their broodiness hinges on hormones in the brain being high enough to put and keep them in a broody state.
Breed can play as a small indicator to which ones are more likely to brood but in the end they are all individuals.
Most of my flock consist of Faverolles a notoriously baby brained breed yet only a quarter ever go into a broody state and maybe half of those keep levels high enough to keep them there long enough for a successful hatch.
So, in a nutshell even with broody breeds its a crapshoot.

 

[GC-Raptor]

Buff orpingtons and plymouth rocks are the ones that are supposed to be "setters". They're over a year old at this point.

Buff Orpingtons yes, Barred Rocks not broody.
I've had 7 Barred Rocks for more than a year, 5 more than 1 1/2 years and the final 3 for 33 months, none ever went broody.

I recently bought 4 more Barred Rocks, because I don't want any setters.
I buy Sex-links or non-broody breeds. No Cockerels/Roosters here.
I also bought Rhode Island Reds, not known for going broody.
Now any non-broody breed could go broody, just not as common.
Buff Orpington are known to go broody more often than some, but like yours may not. Yours are still relatively young, but I'm thinking your moving tractor coop could discourage broody behavior, but I'm guessing.

My first Flock of Barred Rocks.

My second flock of Barred Rocks with Rhode Island Reds.

They are 6 weeks old today. GC

 

[Feathercrazie]

Get yourself a silky, I heard they hatch rocks.

Had a friend that would put a silkie rooster with a couple of game hens to get broodies. Most of the offspring were excellent mamas, not so wild as the game and more fluff to their feathers so they could cover more eggs. Still had the game hen mama instinct to fight for their babies.

 

[Aapomp831]

Get yourself a silky, I heard they hatch rocks.

Or any breed of bantam. They live to hatch eggs.

 

[yakitori]

Get yourself a silky, I heard they hatch rocks.

500% true! Rocks and air

 

[cassie]

Get yourself a silky, I heard they hatch rocks.

I had a Cochin that was bound and determined to hatch a box of iris bulbs.

 

[TheDuckGuy]

We were counting on our chickens reproducing themselves? Two of our three breeds are SUPPOSED to be setters, but none of them have shown any inclination to doing so. Is there something I should be doing? We have them in a chicken tractor, with raised nesting boxes, and it gets moved every day; is that too distracting? Do they need to be in one location to get broody? Maybe we'll have to incubate and hatch them ourselves?

My uncle's hens go broody everyday