Why is broody contagious?

[Amyh]

I was so excited to finally have a broody. I let her keep 4 eggs in the hopes that she will do a good job and hatch some chicks. Now I've got three other hens sitting in the boxes for hours. I lifted them all and locked them outside the coop today because I was so annoyed. I only have 6 hens, so when 1 is out of commission, it impacts my egg production greatly. I can't have 4 hens setting.

These hens are too funny!!

 

[bobbi-j]

I don't know why it's contagious, but I wish one or two of mine would catch it!

 

[Kansaseq]

Two of my 3 Ameraucanas have gone broody. One was setting on a golf ball, and viciously attacked me when I tried to move her. I gave her a few eggs to see if she'll do the job. Wouldn't mind a few more dark layers for next spring.

 

[Country Heart]

I have not experienced it being contagious yet - thanks goodness, since I only have four of laying age. But I have found a win-win way of handling a broody girl.

I let her sit on three wooden eggs for 21 days - then lock her out of the nest. She gets to do her broody thing and fully experience her raging hormones for three weeks, then I get my egg producing girl back. win-win

 

[prairiehen74369]

Five of my seven Nankin hens are setting the crazy thing is they are all trying to set in the same nest. I'll get out there in the morning and see if I can seperate them. I've got plenty of eggs to set them on if they will cooperate. I agree that it seems when one starts they all want to join in.

 

[JulieNKC]

I have 1 silkie broody and 1 BO broody. My other silkie stayed on her egg for about an hour after laying it, thank goodness she came to her senses when I took it away. Am gonna have to keep my eye on her.

 

[Marion565]

I don't know why, but at my house it shurely is. In the last 2 month I had a production red go broody ( I let her hatch 4) followed immediatly by a BO and 2 more production reds. I am tearing my hair out here. I have 12 laying hens and 3 of them are broody right now. I thought production reds were not supposed to go broody,..............well, live and learn!

 

[littlechicken123]

I am depending on one of mine to go broody for the next set of chicks.

I have a Cuckoo maran, Black austrolorp, and a Salmon Faverolle (sp?) Which one do you think is most likely to go broody?

 

[WalkingWolf]

It is that time of year, I have more broody hens than laying hens, I even have 3 pekin ducks sitting on eggs and they are supposed to have brooding bred out of them. I have found that once hens get over two years old they have more of a tendency to go broody, but when they do lay the eggs are considerably larger than the pullets.