Can i force my hen to continue to brood?

[Ilovemychicks08]

So i have 5 chickens. A friend has some eggs she wants hatched, and i could buy a few a want from a hatchery close to me. 3 of the 5 have tried to go broody. 2 of them are being consistant. My buff orp and my light brahma are the ones doing it. Could i make another nesting box fence it off, then put fake eggs and place one of them in there so they brood?

 

[Saveria]

Some broodies will settle back down if you move them, some not so much. I heard from another person who had success with it that they had to lock them into an enclosure with the new nest and that they took at least a day to settle back down.

How long have they been broody?

Working with broodies, from what I have learned, the mantra is "go ahead and try, but be ready to intervene" since they can be really unpredictable.

Would you put fake eggs in, hope they take to the new nest and then put in the real eggs?

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

Some broodies will settle back down if you move them, some not so much. I heard from another person who had success with it that they had to lock them into an enclosure with the new nest and that they took at least a day to settle back down.

How long have they been broody?

Working with broodies, from what I have learned, the mantra is "go ahead and try, but be ready to intervene" since they can be really unpredictable.

Would you put fake eggs in, hope they take to the new nest and then put in the real eggs?

They stay on the nest for a day or 2 but then i move them to see how many real eggs they have and they quit. Ill definitely try to make a new area and see if she will go broody.

 

[nuthatched]

I would get an incubator, even if it took a week to convince a hen to go broody, they eggs will will lose fertility the longer it takes.

 

[Farmlife16]

Moving broody hens can be done successfully, though there is always a chance that they won't accept their new nest. Moving the broody at night creates the least disturbance and is a great way to encourage her to accept the nest. Keeping her locked up with food and water the first few hours (the next morning) is helpful too.

Hope this helps answer your question!

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

I would get an incubator, even if it took a week to convince a hen to go broody, they eggs will will lose fertility the longer it takes.

I would get a incubator but i can only keep 5 chickens. one i need to get rid of. Thats why i was trying a broody.

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

Moving broody hens can be done successfully, though there is always a chance that they won't accept their new nest. Moving the broody at night creates the least disturbance and is a great way to encourage her to accept the nest. Keeping her locked up with food and water the first few hours (the next morning) is helpful too.

Hope this helps answer your question!

Yes. Well sadly they stay on the nest for 3 days then they both get off.

 

[nuthatched]

I would get a incubator but i can only keep 5 chickens. one i need to get rid of. Thats why i was trying a broody.

Im sorry, That doesn't make sense to me.
You want to hatch chucks because you have too many already?

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

Im sorry, That doesn't make sense to me.
You want to hatch chucks because you have too many already?

Technically some would go to the friend i could get hatching eggs from and i would keep 2. Our town is raising the limit up to 6 or 7 ill know by the end of July.

 

[Farmlife16]

Yes. Well sadly they stay on the nest for 3 days then they both get off.

So you've tried moving them before?