Can we talk about how broody hens changed over the years?

My grandmother had Rhode Island Reds back in the 70s outside of Lancaster, and every spring half the flock would go broody without fail. Now I keep a mix of modern layers and I'm lucky if one out of 15 even sits on eggs past day two. Is it just the breeds we've picked, or did the old timers do something different with nesting boxes that we lost?

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1 Comment

lisar141mo ago

My neighbor’s old Wyandottes still got broody every spring until she switched to lighter breeds.