Can you make chickens broody?

[HenPen42]

Hello, I have about 5 bantam hens and 2 of the 5 set on eggs last year and hatched them.. I was wondering is there a technique in getting them to become broody again, or do I just have to wait for Mother nature to put it in their head that its time to sit on eggs? I would like to hatch some eggs for March, but not in the middle of the summer and late fall like they did last year...

 

[Impress]

I have had success with it, but it is a bit tedious, and sometimes it backfires and EVERYONE goes broody. I collect all my eggs, and keep them stored in a cool dry place, use them as I need eggs, but have them ready for a broody.

I take my collection of wooden eggs ($1 each at craft stores) and make one of the nest boxes in the coop super cozy and nice, and put a pile of those eggs in there. I take any that are laid in there, but leave that pile. It seems that a big pile of ready to set on eggs, just waiting for a toasty hen butt, tempts them into broodiness.

You wait until one decides to sit, then you keep taking eggs for two or three days, until you are positive she will sit, then you give sneak away the fake eggs in the middle of the night and switch them with your waiting eggs.

If she will be setting where other hens can sneak in eggs, mark the eggs before you put them under her, or they will keep sneaking in eggs, and the hen will not keep on hatching them out, after her main brood hatches, she will leave them.

Good luck!

 

[donrae]

I agree with impress. You can tempt them but you can't make them. I agree, the pile of "eggs" seems to help trigger broodiness in some borderline birds.

 

[HenPen42]

Thanks, I have considered buying an inubator, but the idea of doing it the old fashion way just seems more natural...Plus the ones that sat last year, was such good Mommas and raised them up and everything, I didn't have to do much at all but feed them...What if I take one of them and put her in a separate pen, so that she will be away from the other chickens, and put the pile of fake eggs in there?

Once I get one that becomes broody to set, should I move her to a different location, or leave her with the rest of the hens?

 

[TravisE]

they will set when ever they fell like it. i have one of my 5 oeg bantams has went broody 2 time in the last month. even though it has ben in the single digits here. here she is. setting on a marble egg. im going to try to switch the egg with one or two of the chick i have coming in a order i have coming on the 4th. and see what happens.