Anything I can do to encourage brooding?

[IamRainey]

I've got a couple broody breeds -- Orpingtons and a Plymouth Rock who went broody last year when there weren't any fertilized eggs. Now I've got fertilized eggs -- plenty of them. What I don't got is a chicken sitting on them.

Is there anything that will trigger the impulse? I'm in warm and sunny Southern California well into Spring. I'm leaving eggs in clusters in the nesting boxes. I'm considering putting a fabric "curtain" in front of the nesting boxes.

Would it be helpful if I freshened up the excelsior pads in there? Anything else I could do?

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

It probably would help! I have also heard that if you lock a previous broody in a nest box, on the eggs, with food and water of course, she may go broody.. good luck!

 

[IamRainey]

Thanks for your help but what are you referring to when you say "It probably would help!"? Or should I just do all of the above?

 

[danceswithronin]

I'd get like, half a dozen ceramic hatching eggs and put them in one nest together. I feel like hens start to get that broody impulse the more eggs they have in one nest. If I let my eggs build up over several days, just because all my hens use one nest box it will cause the hens to go broody really quick because within 3-4 days there is a dozen eggs in there.

 

[IamRainey]

Right. I've got 6 actual eggs in one nesting box and I just moved 3 to a second one.

I'm usually diligent about collecting eggs 2-3 times a day so none gets broken and no one develops a taste for raw egg so I'm trepidatious about the mere idea of leaving my eggs out there. But I also need some chicks since I can't get any delivered to Los Angeles County anymore...

 

[danceswithronin]

Right. I've got 6 actual eggs in one nesting box and I just moved 3 to a second one.

Other than what you're doing, I can't think of anything else off the top of my head. Hopefully one will go broody quick! I had silkies last summer so they basically went broody every time I turned around.

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

Sorry! Yes, I was referring to all the above.

Thanks for your help but what are you referring to when you say "It probably would help!"? Or should I just do all of the above?

 

[IamRainey]

Thank you, guys. Keep your fingers crossed for me if you will!

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

I will!

 

[aart]

Baiting a nest with a clutch of fake eggs, removing any real eggs daily, might work.
Locking bird in nest is not cool, IMO.
Broody is hormonal, we can't control when it happens.

Broodies rarely go broody when you want them too!