Will a hen go broody again?

[pittmanbirds]

I've always wanted a broody hen, none of my 25 hens seem to understand thatAt auction last night a hen along with her chicks went for sale. My husband didn't think of it until it was to late that he should've bought them, thinking the hen would probably go broody again and also that the chicks might be more likely to be broody, being hatched under a hen. Anybody with broody hens, is it ever a one time deal?

Another question. I've read Orpington and silkies often go broody. So i chose orpingtons but I've never had one go broody. I would love to be able to hatch some chicks out of the incubator, anybody have any suggestions?

 

[FarmerGirl101]

I put lots of eggs in the nesting box and my hen went broody

 

[tacothechicken]

Leaving eggs in box is a good way to trigger it. and Yes most brood are reacuringly broody. But it can also be hormonal and environmental. I had a delaware go broody for first time at NINE YEARS OLD!!! It appears finally having our latest roo mature and start crowing and strutting set her off even though he hadn't taken charge of any flock duties yet

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Chickens are basically unable to learn (much) from imitation. Whether a hens' female chicks will ever try to incubate eggs is going to be decided by that hens' and the roosters' DNA and not by her life's experiences.

Yes, a hen who has incubated eggs before will in all likelihood do so again, perhaps even this summer, but a clutch of eggs derived from a duke's mixture of unknown hens and roosters is unlikely to prove satisfactory.

 

[50-45-1]

Leaving good eggs on a nesting box is not a good idea you will waste the eggs, they will rot or get broken and stink or encourage egg eating by the other hens. Go get some golf balls and use those to entice the birds to lay where they should. You can not force broodyness. A hen will go broody or not. I have had litteraly every breed of chicken i have ever known go broody even a white leghorn once! Get a seperate pen ready for your broody. Do not let her remain in the next box where other hens bother her several times a day and lay more fresh eggs under her. You want all the eggs started at the same time so they all hatch at the same time. She will need a quiet, safe, dark place. Once a day she will come out and eat and drink. One of my best and faithfull mother hens was a barred rock named stripey. Other good solid mothers were a black ostralorp and my japanese banties.

 

[pittmanbirds]

A local farmer just offered me some broody hens who have hatched so many chicks there taking over the farm

 

[ramboas93]

my experience once they go broody they keep doing it again and again sometimes multiple times a year. They either never do or always do, each hen and breed is different. my best hen is a black copper maran hen i have and she usually goes broody about 3-4 times a year, and is a great mother, which is why i nicknamed her mama bear. Other hens i've had including black copper marans have showed no interest at all in going broody year after year.

 

[pittmanbirds]

I've tried leaving eggs out, it never worked

 

[Buffbrahmasforever]

I would get a heavy breed, they are very likely to go broody. I would definitely get someones backyard hatched chicks. factory ones rarely go broody.

 

[Altfrizzle]

Just get a silkie. I currently have 8 out of 10 silkie hens brooding.