Their jittery uncertainty may have led to cracked or crushed eggs.Ī broody hen needs peace and quiet in order to stay in her trance and focus on incubating her eggs. Lynn’s pullets were 10 months old when they began showing interest in setting eggs. Pullets simply may not be physically ready to enter a broody trance. The hormone prolactin is crucial to the onset and maintenance of incubation behavior. ![]() Because of their age-pullets are female chickens less than one year of age-these young females most likely have not reached hormonal maturity. This is especially true if there is no older hen present in the coop to set an example for the younger girls. But, beyond this, they may not understand what is expected of them. These young females may feel curious or instinctively drawn to a nest full of eggs. But this is by no means an indication that they are mature enough to set them. Pullets who have reached point-of-lay may be old enough to produce eggs. Read more: Chickens can develop bad habits, and it’s up to you to train them right. Going old school necessitated my explaining three key guidelines. Lynn had also familiarized herself with the requirements for heat, humidity and egg turning … but these applied to eggs incubated in a machine, not under a hen. She had specifically selected Buff Orpingtons, Light Brahmas and Black Cochins, all dual-purpose heritage breeds with strong tendencies towards broodiness. Knowing Lynn took homesteading seriously, I took the opportunity to guide her through the basics of hatching. “Can I bring our hatching eggs to you?” she asked. As a homesteader, it was vital to her plans to be able to hatch her own chicks. ![]() The fertilized eggs were continually crushed by the expectant mamas. Lynn’s excitement about having springtime peeps, however, turned to dismay, then heartbreak. Her cockerel had been active long before then and, by mid-April, three of her girls had gone broody. She had purchased a dozen month-old pullets and a month-old cockerel in July, nurtured them through the Michigan winter, and was thrilled to gather her first eggs in March. Lynn was very excited about her chicken flock becoming self sustaining.
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