Why have my White Leghorn pullets/hen decided to go broody?

LeghornGuy

In the Brooder
12 Years
Jul 18, 2007
82
0
39
New Orleans
My flock consist mainly of white leghorns (Ideal 236). I have several questions.
1. Is it the time of the year for hens to set? I live in the south and winters are mild. Is it the weather?
2. What breeds are used to get the Ideal 236?
3. I have a brown leghorn rooster that mates with the white leghorn. He also mates with the Buff Orp. Will the chicks be sexlink chicks? (Since it is a brown male and white females)

4. I noticed the hens that are setting/ broody are the dominant hens. Is this usually the case?

You input will be appreciated.
Side note- of the 15 hens that I have, 5 decided to go broody on me this week.
 
All I know is that leghorns don't usually go broody at all or it they do its only for a few days.

Good Luck,
Henry
 
WOW! They are just ideal's strain of leghorn. They can and do go broody but it is very rare... looks like you have one broody hormonal bunch there! Just keep tossing them off the nest. It's all hormones so maybe the weather did set them off.... I had three I have been trying to break for the last like month... could be time of year.

I don't think you'll have sexlink chicks... but I am not sure. I think white can hide lots of traits. If your roo was barred, it may work then.
 
Last weekend five of my hens decided to set/go broody. Today, three are still setting on eggs.
I re-distributed the eggs to the other three hens.
I think my leghorns are moody.
How many eggs can one hen hatch.
I had five to six eggs under each hen. Now I have seven and up.
I hope the hens hatch some of the eggs.
It is just disappointing to have a hen sit on eggs for a week and then stop.
 
Any day now.....
I posted this question 17 to 18 days ago.
I had five hens go broody on me.
After four days or so, three hens stopped setting on the eggs. (is it sitting or setting?)
The two remaining hens have been setting on the eggs for almost 18 days.
So hopefully, I will have newly hatched mixed leghorn-Orp Buff chicks.

I have two hens sitting or setting on ten eggs each.
I dont know what the fertility rate. I have twelve hens with one rooster in a pen.

I will post pics once i figure out how to post pics.
We cant wait to see how many hatch.
good luck with your flock
 
Your fertility should be good. You have a good ratio of hens to roosters. It will definately be interesting how many hatch and if the hens will continue doing well into their mothering stage.

fl.gif

-Kim
 

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