Will hen go broody even if there is no rooster in the flock?

[old biddy]

I have a large flock of chickens that I let free range during the day and lock up in the henhouse at night. Most of the hens lay their eggs in the henhouse nesting areas. A few of them, however, have taken to the woods to nest and eventually show up with baby chicks.

I now have no roosters in my flock so any eggs I get from the hens are infertile, which is fine by me since I have more chickens and eggs than I need. The concern is for the hens that lay eggs in the woods. Now that I have no more roosters to fertilize the eggs, will the hens still go broody and try to hatch the infertile eggs? I worry about them staying out in the woods for weeks and weeks and weeks on end trying to hatch eggs that won't hatch. Do the hens either know or care that the eggs are infertile? Or will they just keep trying to hatch them anyway?

 

[sylviethecochin]

The hens will still go broody. Most hens will set until they're in terrible condition before giving up; some very few will set until they die, a few more will stop setting before the eggs would have hatched.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Yes. Broodiness is all about hormone shifts and those will occur regardless of presence of a rooster

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Do you have a run? Penning them for a week or two will help to "home" them to the nest boxes as the place to lay

 

[old biddy]

Do you have a run? Penning them for a week or two will help to "home" them to the nest boxes as the place to lay

That is a good idea. I know which ones take to the woods so I'll start acclimating them in the run so they will roost in the henhouse at night. Thanks.

 

[aart]

Hopefully your coop and run are big enough to comfortably hold all your birds without too much stress.

Free range birds sometimes need to be 'trained'(or re-trained) to lay in the coop nests, especially new layers. Leaving them locked in the coop for a week or so can help 'home' them to lay in the coop nests. Fake eggs/golf balls in the nests can help 'show' them were to lay. They can be confined to coop and maybe run 24/7 for a few days to a week, provided you have adequate space and ventilation, or confine them at least until mid to late afternoon. You help them create a new habit and they will usually stick with it. ..at least for a good while, then repeat as necessary.