Will hens go broody if???

[Nicole01]

If I collect the eggs each and every time they lay? Do they go broody without eggs visible in the nest box? Right now I'm collecting the eggs as soon as they jump down from the nest box.

Also, can I put the warm eggs in the fridge right away or should I wait until room tempature? Does it even matter?lol

 

[Ridgerunner]

If I collect the eggs each and every time they lay? Do they go broody without eggs visible in the nest box? Right now I'm collecting the eggs as soon as they jump down from the nest box.

Some people think a hen is more likely to go broody if the eggs build up in her nest I think there is something to this, but there are no guarantees. I've tried adding a golf ball a day to a nest and none went broody. I have had them go broody with no eggs at all in the nest. Whenever the hormones kick in, they go broody. What kicks off those hormones, who knows. There is little that is consistent with chickens.

Also, can I put the warm eggs in the fridge right away or should I wait until room tempature? Does it even matter?

It really does not matter. They should not raise the temperature of the other stuff in the refrigerator enough to cause a problem with that other stuff. As for the eggs themselves, it really does not matter.

 

[Nicole01]

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Thank you very much.

 

[2hot2chicken]

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I have a silkie hen whos broody right now. I collect the eggs every morning and night as she never lays at the same time of day.

It happened overnight though. She was out and fine all day. Went to bed as usual. I opened the door the next morning and she didn't come out with the rest. I checked and she was in her box so I left her along for a few hours thinking she might have been laying and didn't want to disturbe her. Well after 4 hours I went out to check and she was still on the nest so I reached towards her and she bit the crap out of my hand. Thus I figured she was broody. I got a towel and threw her out of the coop, locked the chicken door and let them all out to free range. I also took the 1 egg she must have layed the night before. She drank and ate for a few minutes then started pacing in front of the chicken door and panting because she was pacing in the heat of the afternoon. I opened the door after a while and gave up becauase she seemed so stressed and I didn't want to her to get a heat stroke or something.

Day 4 and though she gets up once in a while to drink apparently as my daughter says I have given up trying to break her. Short of putting her in a small cage for a few days nothing has worked and I think she actually liked the ice under the butt because my coop is hot inside during the day even with the window open

So anyway there is really no warning it just happens out of the blue..........

and of course it happens when we are so looking forward to a fresh omlet!