Can I put a hen in a creat to get broody?

[starrmar006]

HI,
I was wondering if you put a hen in a reguilar sized cage with some eggs, will it get a chicken broody faster?

I haven't had any lick with all the methods that other people had luck with!!

 

[cavemanrich]

Try it and see. Everyone keeps telling you otherwise. Try your own methods. It may work? or not?

 

[Percheron chick]

No. You can't make her go broody. You will just end up with one mad hen who will probably break the eggs in her frantic attempts to break out.

 

[bobbi-j]

I know that you are so very anxious to have a broody hen, but really - no matter how many times you ask, in so many different ways - you can not make a hen go broody. The best you can do is be patient. Put some fake eggs in a nest, maybe - just maybe - in a few weeks or months, one might decide to try to set on them.

You can try putting a hen in a cage with eggs, but I think Percheron Chick is right - you're likely going to end up with a mad hen and broken eggs. How long would you keep her in? If she did go broody, I am willing to bet it would be a matter of weeks. Do you really want to keep a hen penned up by herself that long? That's kind of cruel in my opinion. Chickens are flock animals that like to be out scratching and pecking and doing chicken things. Sometimes the hard part about having animals is keeping their best interests in mind above ours. But we need to be responsible for them and to what's best for them and not be selfish and do something just because we want it if it's not best for our animals.

 

[Pork Pie]

You could consider getting a couple of hens from a breed known to be broody or splash out on an incubator

 

[bobbi-j]

You could consider getting a couple of hens from a breed known to be broody or splash out on an incubator

OP is a dependent living at home, not allowed to get any chickens unless one goes broody. Here is the first thread:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1156607/i-really-want-some-chicks-help-me

 

[Pork Pie]

OP is a dependent living at home, not allowed to get any chickens unless one goes broody. Here is the first thread:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1156607/i-really-want-some-chicks-help-me

Sorry, telepathy is not my forte

(but thanks for the info)

 

[bobbi-j]

Sorry, telepathy is not my forte

(but thanks for the info)

Heh - I don't have my degree in telepathy yet either. I just remember this thread, and one that was posted just a few days ago about trying to get a hen broody.

 

[bobbi-j]

@starrmar006 - One other thought that has nothing to do with making a hen go broody. You mentioned in a previous post that you want chicks because you are bored and don't have anyone to play with. Maybe you could ask your mom to see if there is a 4-H club in your area. 4-H is a wonderful way to get to meet people, and have friends that may have the same interests as you - like raising chickens. Do you have a dog? Our county has a dog training program. Maybe yours does, too. You could meet people who will help you gain more knowledge than you already have gotten in your two years of chicken keeping. One of my sons showed chickens for a few years in 4-H and learned a lot!

 

[bobbi-j]

One other thing to think about. I don't know if you plan on playing with or handling your chicks a lot, but that's not going to be easy to do if they're being raised by a hen. A good, protective mama hen either leads her babies away from anyone or anything trying to get close to them, or tucks them all under her and then viciously pecks when you try to pick one up. Go ahead and ask me why I know this...