[nzdunn]

Just a question about hens going broody, can this be at any age, as soon as they are able to start laying or is it when they are older       nicky

[Foxy]

I have had one madam lay 2 eggs and then promptly went  broody!

[joyfull]

my two went broody at 12 months and 14 months old 

[Hensington]

2nd year broodies tend to be more reliable as a rule. But I have had first year hens raise young.

[Casey76]

Ha!  I found one of my 9 week old chicks sitting comfortably on one of my pullets eggs last night (the pullets lay after I go to work, so i can't collect the eggs until the evening) 

Maybe it's a good sign for new chicks next year

[nzdunn]

could i just ask when a hen goes broody how long does it last, i dont have a cockerel and dont want one either so the eggs are purely for us as a family, if any of my girls do go broody in the future do you just keep removing the eggs from her and do they get over it.   nickyx

[Casey76]

Luckily none of my birds have been broody yet.  the chicks are too young, and the isa browns have had broodiness practically bred out of them.

I have read though, that to break broodyness, you must keep the hen away from the nesting box.  Pop her in a cat crate or wire cage without bedding (but with food and water obviously!) for a couple of days then let her back out, if she heads straight back to the nest box, back into the crate, until the broodiness is gone.

Depending on the bird, broodiness can be broken in a couple of days, or if you're unlucky (or the hen is persistent) broodiness can go on for weeks 

[nzdunn]

do they sit on the nest if there are no eggs underneath them       nicky

[tuffty]

Yes, they do sit on the nest even without eggs.  Even after l removed all the other eggs she still carried on sitting. I have had to remove my hen completely to try to stop her being broody. It's her second day away from the others so not sure how long this will go on for as l am quite new to all this. Everytime l removed from the nest box she would have some food and water and about 15mins later she would be back on the nest again.