please explain broodiness.

[jimz1]

I understand it when it is said that a hen goes broody, but when it is said seldom broody, does that mean they won't set at all? My hens lay at least 1 egg a day. I think that's good for first timers. But I was wondering. They just lay their eggs and go.We never had to kick them off the nests to get their eggs. Is it because they just started laying? They don't have the mothering instinct yet? Almost all the hens we got go broody very seldom according to the chicken chart. Any help?

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

Broodiness is the tendency to want to hatch out chicks. Some breeds are very broody. Some are never broody. I have some hens that dutifully lay their egg everyday and go on with life. I have others who will lay approximately 3 eggs and then steal everyone else's eggs so they can sit on them. It is a hen by hen thing even within breeds.

I don't know what breeds you have, but silkies and cochins tend to be extreme broodies. Hatchery hens tend to be less broody than non-hatchery hens, but even that isn't totally true. Of my original 8 standard size hatchery hens (who are now 3+ years old) only one has gone broody and she wasn't all that serious about it. The two hatchery silkies I got go broody at least once a year. The show line of silkies I got from a breeder go broody if you look at them.

They will stay broody by golly until something hatches out. You can't break them of their broodiness.
I also have ameraucanas. I have two in that line that have been broody twice in three months. Others in that line have never been broody. You just never know.

You can't force a hen to go broody. They just do it or they don't. You can sometimes break them of being broody. I generally just let them have a few eggs and tell them to go for it. I have NEVER successfully broken my determined broodies. They always win.

Sooooo... if your breeds tend to be non-broody then you will likely get few if any broody hens. If you have silkies or cochins you can count on somebody doing it eventually.

 

[galanie]

Seldom would range sort of between once a year and almost never. Like they might, but don't hold your breath waiting.