[helskitchen]

This might be a really dumb question, but do hens lose their broodiness as their egg production decreases?

We have a lovely silkie/sussex who is now 3 years old.  In her first year, we nearly lost a few fingers when we dared to try and retrieve eggs from anywhere near her, and she seemed to spend all her time on the nest.  Last year she had the odd broody period, but this year she is not interested, and it is since we got our cockerel!  We were hoping that she was going to become broody and the patter of tiny feet was to come our way.  Could it be her age and the fact she is slowing down with the eggs?  We got some older chicks who are outside in a smaller pen within the chicken enclosure, and she wants to spend all her time with them.   

[Roxy]

Never really thought about this before, but from my own experience, I would say not.  Two of our banties regularly went broody, and proper broody (you would not dare put your hard anywhere near them!) every summer, even just before we lost them at 15 and 16 years old.  This year, my elderley black rock has gone broody, and she is no longer a great egg layer - there again, she has probably seen all the other broodies in a line clucking, and decided to join them. 

[SallyintNorth]

My neighbour had a couple of old biddies, 7 and 8 years old.  Laid about an egg a year between them.  Neighbour came by 4 pheasant eggs and stuck them under one of the banties.  She hatched them and reared them.

[helskitchen]

Oh thanks guys, maybe she has decided to go for early retirement then!