Brooding

[aart]

GreenGoddess,
I respectfully disagree with your statement that "there is nothing you can do to make them go brood". I have been transcribing letters my grandmother wrote to my uncle in 1946. She talks about making a hen go brood. It is accomplished by putting "fake" eggs in the box. She was successful in getting 5 chicks from this endeavor. I still have 88 more letters to transcribe so there may be discussion about it.

But, the fact is.....there IS a way to make a chicken go brood.

I don't think using fake eggs makes them go broody, it is just a way to check to see if they are in fact broody before putting fertile eggs under them to hatch. If they stay on the fake eggs for (I don't know how many) days and nights, then you know they are serious about staying on the nest and you can risk giving them some real eggs to hatch out.

 

[chickenmomma2]

I will let you know if I find any more info in my grandmother's letters.

 

[HEChicken]

I don't think using fake eggs makes them go broody, it is just a way to check to see if they are in fact broody before putting fertile eggs under them to hatch. If they stay on the fake eggs for (I don't know how many) days and nights, then you know they are serious about staying on the nest and you can risk giving them some real eggs to hatch out.

x2. Several times I've gone away for a few days, leaving enough food and water for them while we're gone. Since no one is collecting eggs, they build up in the nest boxes. I've never had a hen go broody, even after a 5-day build up of eggs.