Broody hens?

[Margaretlumley01]

I was wondering how I could get my hens to be broody. I would love to have chicks this spring, I loooooove cross breeds!
Thanks,
Marge

 

[AlleysChicks]

Can’t make them broody. It’s a hormone thing. But you could get a incubator

 

[Morrigan]

Some chicken breeds are more inclined to go broody than others, so your best bet is to select your hens from those and then cross your fingers. Hens go broody on their own schedules.

 

[Minky]

One of mine first went broody after a nice warm day in the yard (above zero) after 2 months of being cooped up due to snow on the ground and -10 to -25 every day!!!!
Im sure she got a "cue" that is was spring and two days later she went broody. Had to put her in the broody buster (didnt have a rooster so no fertilized eggs).... in February I got a rooster. In early March we had a few days of very warm weather (14 C ) thats like 60 i think..... so I let them free range all day hoping she would go broody. Sure enough - a week later she was broody! She is currently sitting on a clutch of 16 eggs- I candelled today (day 8) and all going strong!

I think I got lucky because she is an EE, which I don't think are known to be broody.
My Orpington hasn't gone broody yet, and they are supposedly more prone to it...so I am hoping for her to be next!

Best of luck!

 

[bobbi-j]

As stated above, you can't make a hen go broody. She is regulated by daylight which triggers hormones. If you want to hatch chickens on your schedule, get an incubator.

 

[Margaretlumley01]