can you make a hen broody?

[farmgirl277]

Hey, I have a hen and I was wondering if there is something you can do to make her broody.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Nope. It's an internal notion, probably hormonal. Not much you can do.

 

[farmgirl277]

Darn. Thanks anyway :/

 

[Bullitt]

Hey, I have a hen and I was wondering if there is something you can do to make her broody.

There are some things that can be done to encourage broodiness.

First, get a breed of hen that tends to go broody. What breed is your hen?

You can also allow the hen to gather a clutch of eggs. Allowing a hen to accumulate eggs will make it more likely she will go broody. Some people put artificial eggs in the nest to try to encourage broodiness. If the hen does go broody, remove the artificial eggs and place fertilized eggs under the hen.

Hens are also more likely to go broody in the spring.

 

[farmgirl277]

Hi,
Thanks for the info. Her breed is unknown. If I let her sit on fake eggs for 21 says and put day old chicks under her will she accept them?

Here is a picture of her

 

[Bullitt]

Hi,
Thanks for the info. Her breed is unknown. If I let her sit on fake eggs for 21 says and put day old chicks under her will she accept them?
Here is a picture of her

I do not know what breed of hen that is either. I see it has grey legs. Maybe someone else knows.

If the hen sat on eggs for 21 days, she would be broody. If she did that, yes you could put chicks under her. But if she went broody, it would be easier to allow the hen to hatch the eggs.

The easiest thing to do is buy a broody breed of hen. Something like a Silkie or a Cochin or maybe a Buff Orpington. Ask the person selling if the hen goes broody. That would be the best indication.

Do you have a rooster, or are you planning to buy fertilized eggs?

 

[farmgirl277]

We have a rooster but I would rather get sexed chicks because I don't want to have to deal with rehoming roosters. She has not gone broody, she is the odd hen out and I was thinking if she raised chicks then she would have friends - so to speak.

 

[Jrose]

She looks like a white version of my girls who lays blue eggs. She's small, greyfeathers, grey legs, and has a little pea comb.

 

[farmgirl277]

She looks like a white version of my girls who lays blue eggs. She's small, greyfeathers, grey legs, and has a little pea comb.

OH! I do hope she lays blue eggs!! That would be fun.