OK, so just found this thread... my hens have never been broody but I thnk it would be cool having a broody hen I might be crazy but how can I make them become broody faster?
You can't make a hen become broody...you can only encourage a broody type to do what she would naturally do with the right set of circumstances. Dark nest, warmth and a full clutch of eggs pressing on her breast bone will help trigger the necessary hormones.
As modern Ag science has selected for non-broodiness, since brooding hens are not laying hens, a lot of our modern breeds rarely go broody. Not that it doesn't happen as each bird is unique; however, it is the genes that drive the hormones that will determine whether a hen will brood or not. Commercial laying lines, like Red Stars, White Leghorns, etc., rarely go broody as they have been carefully selected for laying a lot and therefore those brooding genes are much rarer to find in any one bird. Some more heritage lines like Silkies, Cochins, Game Birds, are known for going broody frequently...even annoyingly frequently...and you have a high likelihood of getting a broody hen if you have that breed. (But not a sure guarantee).
If you have a broody type, like a Silkie or Cochin, merely keeping a nice darker nest area, that is isolated in a warm place, and filled with fake eggs, will often trigger ever present hormones and encourage a broody type to sit. However, it won't do a thing for those who are just don't have the genes to brood.
Several years ago, I wanted to get away from heat lamps and all that mess and work in my garage to brood naturally. Even with my mix of commercial line Buff Orpingtons and other layer types, I did not have a bird who ever indicated she wanted to brood...so I connected to a local chicken swap (using BYC swap forum) and purchased a known broody...a little Silkie banty that had proven herself to be a good mom and eager and frequent brooder. This Silkie has become the backbone of my chick raising as she goes broody faithfully every 3 to 4 months...gets done with one batch of chicks to turn around and start again. I've been fortunate to have several of my big hens go broody on me seasonally...usually in May/June. I NEVER discourage a sincere attempt at brooding as I always want to take advantage of a good brooder...you never know what can happen with chickens/farming...so a good broody to me is a gift from God himself.
So, you can set up an area to entice someone's genes to kick in with the hormones, or you can purchase a known broody like I did, or you can try and grow one from chicks/eggs choosing a breed that is known to be broodier (Henderson's chicken chart is helpful). Remember though that as is with anything, it will boil down to the individual bird.
http://www.sagehenfarmlodi.com/chooks/chooks.html
Good luck,
Lady of McCamley
EDITED TO ADD: Welcome to Broody thread...once you start brooding naturally, you'll never go back to the old way!
