Any way to promote broodyness?

[Duckfarmer1]

I have 7 Comets, 1 EE, 3 BO, 1 W leghorn which I believe are around 1. I got them in Aug. Anyways, I realize they are not particularly broody breeds...but I would love for one to set. I have a BR rooster..good natured now. Are there any tricks I can do to promote a hen into getting her hormones going?

 

[HeyHeyWW]

If the rooster is mating with the hens, I'm pretty sure one of them will get broody pretty soon. Just leave some eggs in their nest. By the way, beautiful chickens!

 

[rosemarythyme]

I wouldn't leave actual eggs, that's just a waste of perfectly good eggs. If a hen is going to go broody, fake eggs will do just fine, you can swap out fakes for real eggs later on. BOs are a more broody breed, so you might have some luck with one of those.

I'd wait until after winter before I'd consider hatching though.

 

[sdm111]

No

 

[Duckfarmer1]

If the rooster is mating with the hens, I'm pretty sure one of them will get broody pretty soon. Just leave some eggs in their nest. By the way, beautiful chickens!

Oh wow, thanks! They are surprisingly very healthy! They came from a bad situation but we’ve had no problems!

 

[Duckfarmer1]

I wouldn't leave actual eggs, that's just a waste of perfectly good eggs. If a hen is going to go broody, fake eggs will do just fine, you can swap out fakes for real eggs later on. BOs are a more broody breed, so you might have some luck with one of those.

I'd wait until after winter before I'd consider hatching though.

So, I have rocks in there now because we had an egg eater, but I didn’t believe that was what was really happening so I was too cheap to buy the ceramics!! when, I put the fakes in, I buy the ceramics? And then just wait till someone keeps setting?

 

[rosemarythyme]

So, I have rocks in there now because we had an egg eater, but I didn’t believe that was what was really happening so I was too cheap to buy the ceramics!! when, I put the fakes in, I buy the ceramics? And then just wait till someone keeps setting?

Rocks can work if they're about egg sized/shaped. I use golf balls. Ceramics are fine too (make sure you mark em, some are too realistic!) Fakes are really just to keep them consistently laying in the nest box. If a hen starts to set on top of them, you can probably yank the fakes at night and stuff hatchable eggs under her to replace the fake ones.

 

[Duckfarmer1]

Rocks can work if they're about egg sized/shaped. I use golf balls. Ceramics are fine too (make sure you mark em, some are too realistic!) Fakes are really just to keep them consistently laying in the nest box. If a hen starts to set on top of them, you can probably yank the fakes at night and stuff hatchable eggs under her to replace the fake ones.

Ok, while we’re on the topic...I have 13 chickens..8 nesting boxes...they used to use the two end ones only..now they only use one...is this typical? We have pullets..and my hubby joked he’s only ever making two nesting boxes!

 

[rosemarythyme]

I have 13 chickens..8 nesting boxes...they used to use the two end ones only..now they only use one...is this typical?

Very normal. I have 7 chickens, 3 boxes, and while mine do use all the boxes, 6 of 7 chickens clearly favor one end box above the others. 1 hen prefers a different box (middle one).

 

[Zach123]

I have ceramic eggs in my nest boxes to encourage them to lay where I want them to lay. Being the strong independent women they are, they lay in the opposite corners of the coop and kick the fakes around like soccer balls.