Why is a broodiness a problem?

[clucky2]

We are just now getting our first eggs! 3 so far in the last 5 days. Now I'm just curious about broody behavior in hens, and wonder what all the fuss in about. What is it that makes this a problem?

 

[EweSheep]

It is a problem for those who wants hens for egg laying purposes only, not to broody chicks. When they go broody, you can see her go as long as a month sitting on eggs, then another month up to three months before she starts laying again. So would you want no eggs for at least four to five months? If not, stick with non broody breeds.

I find a happy medium having some broodies and egg laying hens.

 

[Chicks_N_Horses]

I only have one broody hen and that is my problem. I need more!

 

[clucky2]

Hi, and thanks! Now the question.....If you collect eggs regularly, does it not encourage a hen to "keep laying more?" Even if she's broody? Hmmm.

 

[Chicks R Friends NOT Food]

Quote:
I don't tihnk they go broody without eggs to hatch. Another thing is that broody hens can be very protective which means lots of pecking.

 

[Chicks_N_Horses]

Right, if you keep taking her eggs she will keep laying. When she gets a good amount of eggs then she sits on them.

 

[EweSheep]

Not mine, they lay on air!

 

[clucky2]

Great. Thanks for the responses everyone!

 

[Judy]

I don't think collecting eggs has anything to do with it. If the broody hormone kicks in, she won't care whether she has eggs or not. Not only do they stop laying, they don't eat much and lose weight, can even starve. If there are no fertile eggs (or store bought chicks after she's set for a couple of weeks) she may just keep setting. I had one set for 3 months and lose quite a bit of weight doing it. Next time she went broody I let her set eggs and raise chicks; figured she'd be healthier and go back to laying sooner. Now I have roos again, glad to say, so next time I'll just let her set and raise chicks again. Her chicks are a month old, so I figure sometime next fall we'll be setting eggs again.

 

[onedozenphyllises]

I have a little game cross that will sit on an empty nest all day long, all the time. She doesn't care that there's nothing there. So, great when we want chicks, not so when we don't. Our biggest problem with broodiness is having a nest box fully occupied all the time. We only have just barely enough, so if one is full, it creates a bit of an overcrowding situation! (We're working to remedy that.)