Broodiness

[Peplers chicks]

Question to all the clever chicken farmers, Is there something to promote broodiness, gee, the hen's lay eggs as if it goes out of this world, and I so need them to start breed. I don't believe in incubators since I believe a chick must have a mom to be a good mom one day

 

[Fruitful Acres]

Some breeds won't go broody no matter what you do, but you can encourage a hen to go broody by putting a clutch of 8-10 eggs in a nest to see if it attracts the attention of a hen. I suggest using ceramic eggs so you don't end up with eggs going bad. Once a hen decides to sit on them overnight once or twice in a row, you can put real eggs under her. If the place you initially put the ceramic eggs isn't a good place for her to hatch chicks, you can transfer her and the fake eggs (preferable along with the nest at night) to where you'd like her to hatch the chicks and give her a day or so to make sure she's going to stay broody there before swapping her fake eggs for the real ones.

Just be aware that a lot of hens these days will quit brooding before they actually hatch chicks because the broodiness has been so bred out of them.

 

[Peplers chicks]

Some breeds won't go broody no matter what you do, but you can encourage a hen to go broody by putting a clutch of 8-10 eggs in a nest to see if it attracts the attention of a hen. I suggest using ceramic eggs so you don't end up with eggs going bad. Once a hen decides to sit on them overnight once or twice in a row, you can put real eggs under her. If the place you initially put the ceramic eggs isn't a good place for her to hatch chicks, you can transfer her and the fake eggs (preferable along with the nest at night) to where you'd like her to hatch the chicks and give her a day or so to make sure she's going to stay broody there before swapping her fake eggs for the real ones.

Just be aware that a lot of hens these days will quit brooding before they actually hatch chicks because the broodiness has been so bred out of them.

My hen's do breed, at this moment I have over 50 eggs in three different nests, I just want them to start to breed, I have three that breed in winter, and I want them to start breeding for the summer. The only problem is, I am anxious to enhance the broodiness. LOL

 

[Fruitful Acres]

My hen's do breed, at this moment I have over 50 eggs in three different nests, I just want them to start to breed, I have three that breed in winter, and I want them to start breeding for the summer. The only problem is, I am anxious to enhance the broodiness. LOL

Ya lost me. If there are clutches of eggs sitting around and the hens aren't interested in hatching them, I'm not aware of anything you do coax them into the mood, but if you learn of something, please let me know.