Can you force a chicken into broodiness?

[A_Fowl_Guy]

Bunk.

Sorry but you cannot force a hen to go broody, only encourage the behavior. Some breeds have had the broodiness bred out of them. Some are naturally not a broody type. And please try to not be rude to someone stating their beliefs.

 

[microchick]

Right now I'm having a hard time keeping mine from GOING broody.

But....I have had success stimulating broodiness by buying ceramic eggs and at night leaving two eggs in a nesting box then each day adding another egg. Usually by the time I have 6 eggs in a box somebody will just have to set on them. Once I get a nibble I leave the hen alone for three days to make sure she is serious about it. If she isn't, I just leave the eggs. Sometimes they will come back to the nest and sometimes they won't

Putting a bucket over the hen sounds like a good way to get either an injured hen as she struggles to escape or a dead hen. One of the two.

My best advice is that it's chick time in every farm supply store in America it seems. Invest in chicks or if you want to hatch, invest in an incubator and hatch your own. That way you do not have to depend on the fickleness of broody hens.

 

[centrarchid]

Actual science exploring how broodiness might be induced will be in the realm of behavioral physiology. It would not be motivated by an industry reliant upon incubator technology. The bulk of naysayers are dogmatic in denying options to the hatchery approach that requires the least effort, because the naysayer's default approach is to buy chicks. This question pops up enough to be worth pursuing. If you are too lazy to give is serious thought, then ignore the concept for now. You will be able to catch up later.

 

[centrarchid]

Here is where I will be starting.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/broodiness

Will take time and likely be slower than OP needs to meet goal this round.

OP, my suggestion is you make adjustments to optimize conditions for broodiness and take advantage of when it occurs. That is how I rear my hen-hatched birds. The BO's you have are capable of broodiness so try to keep fresh hatching eggs at the ready. What I would do is keep a dozen hatching eggs that range 0 to 10 days. Those older than 10 days can be transferred to table-egg pile. Mark each egg for date it was laid using a pencil.

 

[adstowe]

The OP is not looking for a science experiment to judge whether or not she can influence broodiness. She just wants more birds quickly. If she had a currently broody hen, then hatching would be a viable option, but she doesn't. Aside from buying adult birds (which is a whole discussion on it's own) her best bet is to get some chicks.

 

[centrarchid]

The OP is not looking for a science experiment to judge whether or not she can influence broodiness. She just wants more birds quickly. If she had a currently broody hen, then hatching would be a viable option, but she doesn't. Aside from buying adult birds (which is a whole discussion on it's own) her best bet is to get some chicks.

Absolute 100% total best is get some silkies and let them run the house to breed as they deem fit. My way or the highway. Like me 1000x's over as it is deserved.

 

[red horse ranch]

When my hens see the chicks that I have in the brooder it seems to make them want chicks of their own. I expect several of my hens to go broody any day now.


I know this doesn't help the OP but it's one way I've found that will cause hens to go broody.

 

[centrarchid]

At this point on a Monday morning, I need the laughs. Everyone needs to relax.

 

[Allie Grace Sanders]

Trying to obtain valid information from a fictional book is not likely to go well. You say your numbers are dwindling. Why are they dwindling? Old age? Predators? If it's caused by something other than old age, then this needs to be addressed first. As far as making a hen go broody? Good luck. Your best bet is to get a heat source and a suitable brooding container and buy some chicks. You can wish/hope/try for a broody hen and still end up never having one.

The numbers were dwindling because of a fox. The problem is gone though.

 

[bobbi-j]

I have never tried to “force” broodiness, so I won’t speak to that. I will say that if you’re in a hurry to add to your flock, or want to get chicks on your schedule, go to your local farm supply store and get some chicks.

Glad you got the fox problem taken care of.