Why don't my chickens go broody???

[Fluffy Lambs]

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.

I figured it must be something with bantams because they go broody the most. My silkie goes broody about twice a month, but it's easy to get her broke off it. I did have the orpington broke off it for about a week and then it started broody clucking again and ended up back in the box, but I'm fixing to have eggs for her to hatch so I'm not annoyed at her any more.

 

[corriemartin]

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.View attachment 2731231
My second flock of Barred Rocks with Rhode Island Reds.View attachment 2731232
They are 6 weeks old today. GC

Great pictures! I also have Rhode Island Reds, which are listed as "variable" for setting. My problems with the Buffs is that they seem to be the most susceptible to predators (their bright color, maybe? their docility?). The Reds are the best. We're down to only one buff hen, three rocks, and five reds. (The two roosters are buff and rock, though with our diminished hen population, we should probably go down to only one.)

 

[Fluffy Lambs]

Great pictures! I also have Rhode Island Reds, which are listed as "variable" for setting. My problems with the Buffs is that they seem to be the most susceptible to predators (their bright color, maybe? their docility?). The Reds are the best. We're down to only one buff hen, three rocks, and five reds. (The two roosters are buff and rock, though with our diminished hen population, we should probably go down to only one.)

Do you not keep yours in a coop?

 

[Fluffy Lambs]

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.

I have two Rhode island reds that have never went broody in their life. I do have one barred rock that is nine years old (still lays eggs!)
and has never* went broody- she didn't go nest box broody. A year ago my banties hatched out their first chick, they hated it my silkiest loved it. When he was (the chick) like three months old, my barred rock "stole" it from the silkie. (She even was clucking to it) he started following around both hens, and eventually started just hanging out with the barred rock only.
Today my golden comet laid an egg, did the egg song and got right back in the box. I put it "broody jail" and she happily got broodier. I accidentally let it out and it immediately ran away and got back in the box. I put it in my nankin pen and she didn't like it. I accidentally let her out again and she ran away and got back in that nesting box.
I wouldn't mind her being broody, but "her" nesting box is the same one one of my bantams is sitting on eggs in right now, and it's a small box.

 

[GC-Raptor]

I do have one barred rock that is nine years old (still lays eggs!)
and has never* went broody- she didn't go nest box broody. A year ago my banties hatched out their first chick, they hated it my silkiest loved it. When he was (the chick) like three months old, my barred rock "stole" it from the silkie.

Wow, 9 years old.
So she had the mothering instinct, but didn't want to set.

Today my golden comet laid an egg, did the egg song and got right back in the box. I put it "broody jail" and she happily got broodier. I accidentally let it out and it immediately ran away and got back in the box. I put it in my nankin pen and she didn't like it. I accidentally let her out again and she ran away and got back in that nesting box.

My first Flock was 5 Golden Comets.

My oldest lived to 50 months old. None of mine went broody.
When I only had one GC left she started following the Barred Rocks while free ranging.

But she went back to her coop after sunset to roost. I have 2 coops. GC

 

[LaFleche]

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?

Yes and yes.

The constant moving of the coop and elevated nesting boxes will keep them from going broody, just as you already suspected.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Yes and yes.

The constant moving of the coop and elevated nesting boxes will keep them from going broody, just as you already suspected.

Just curious, why would elevated nest boxes prevebt broodiness? I currently have a hen that will literally nest no where but our barn loft 20~ feet in the air

 

[Fluffy Lambs]

I'm also curious. My nesting boxes are all up off the ground and my chickens are broody all the time.

 

[LaFleche]

Just curious, why would elevated nest boxes prevebt broodiness? I currently have a hen that will literally nest no where but our barn loft 20~ feet in the air

Maybe she found this the place best hidden and undisturbed?

There will always be the exceptions(s) to the rule, and of course they are individuals as well.

But one successful way of breaking unwanted broodiness is to move them often and prevent them from hiding in dim places or where they will be able to dig nesting holes into the ground.
Hence the recommendation to keep them in eleveted wire cages in full light and in spaces with lots of traffic.

 

[yakitori]

Hens go broody in elevated nesting boxes all the time. A quick search on this on this forum for chicks falling out of nesting boxes and how to move broodies will show you just how common elevated nesting boxes are. In fact I think it tend to be the norm for most coop set ups.