Can you MAKE a hen go BROODY?

[Little Fuzzy]

I think your right. I was to timid to try the nighttime trick thing. It's still cold here at night and I was afraid she would throw them out of the nest box and they would die. This bird is always going broody and I usually put her in chicken jail, but I thought she might want to try some chicks. i guess I'm momma now.

 

[shortgrass]

I wonder sometimes if its hard to integrate 3-4 day old chicks because of failure to imprint. The first thing a hen does when they hatch is hearing it peep etc. When all of a sudden there's this 3 day old chick ready to run around and eat, mom hasn't had a chance at those "newborn" peeps and wiggles under her.


We had a Mallard hen accidentally hatch out a chick, and she immediately booted him from the nest like she knew he wasn't hers, let alone even a duck. Then we tried sneaking 12 extra ducklings the same age as hers with her on day 3, and her ducklings were already responding to her but the new ducklings had no idea who she was and wouldn't stay with her.

And she knew who was who, too, would peck the new ones even though they were identical to hers. They didn't ACT like they were hers. Imposters had to be brooded by surrogate mom, AKA moi

 

[sjturner79]

I'm having a trial right now with making a broody hen accept 3 two day old chicks. She's been broody for 2 months so when my breeder hatched the type of chicks I wanted I got them today. i pulled her off her fake eggs and put her out in the yard. I broke some eggs and put the clean shells in her box, then I put the 3 chicks in there. I went and got broody and put her in the large coop. I left one fake egg in there. She immediately got all huffy to find chicks in her favorite box. She jumped up into the box and immediately pecked one of the chicks hard on the head. I thought ok she's new to this. Then she stuck her head into the broken egg shells. She started to shove the broken egg shells under her tummy, and pulled the last fake egg under her. When the chicks tried to get close she pecked one again, Im not sure if it was the same one. So I pulled all the broken shells and the fake egg out of the box. She got really mad and grabbed that same chick by the head picked it up off the ground and shook it like a dog with a bone. Scary. I pulled the chicks out and set up a brooder box with heat lamp in the garage. The one chick that got shook is looking a little wobbly and hasn't drunk on it's own. Ive been dipping its beak in Electrolytes. I hope it did not hurt it's neck. The broody hen  is a white Silkie, known to be good Mother's. She is always going broody and I usually break her in a cage, but I tried this experiment and it is not going well. I'm too afraid to try and stick them under her after dark. OH Well I guess she just love her eggs.

You did it all wrong. Don't need broken shells, you put the chicks under her at about 10 or 11 at night so that she's not moving much and that the babies will be to cold to try and wander off. If it's fairly warm it still may not work. Once the babies have spent the night as her heat source the should bond her, and they should now smell like they belong under her. There are still a few hens that will kill chicks, even if they hatched naturally under her, but they are rare.

 

[kristina0306]

im quite tempted to try this....im sooo desprite


I hide my face in shame /img/smilies/hide.gif

Did you ever try and did it work?

 

[AJ-Sharp]

I cant guarentee it will work but i did it once with great success. Let eggs sit in the nest until one of the hens feels like its a full clutch then she may or may not set on them. Worked for me but like i said only once, karma came back and bit me in the butt this year, when i didn't want any broodies i first got 6 then another so 7 broodies total. Want one of mine? lol

Mate I'd grab one of your Brodie's desperate for one over here! Cant get my seramas to sit!

 

[lifein1840]

the hen needs to hear the chicks first. Put them in a box in the morning where the hen can hear them, but not see them. She will hear the peeping all day, just like she would when her eggs would be hatching. Late that night try putting the chicks under her, but be out to check at the first light next morning. You want to be there to rescue the chicks just in case she doesn't go for the trick. It has always worked well for me, but I would hate to see chicks get hurt if your hens don't react like mine do. Good luck!!

 

[bobbi-j]

the hen needs to hear the chicks first.  Put them in a box  in the morning where the hen can hear them, but not see them.  She will hear the peeping all day, just like she would when her eggs would be hatching.  Late that night try putting the chicks under her, but be out to check at the first light next morning.  You want to be there to rescue the chicks just in case she doesn't go for the trick.  It has always worked well for me, but I would hate to see chicks get hurt if your hens don't react like mine do.  Good luck!!

I have slipped chicks under broodies without them hearing peeping all day and had it work out just fine. A lot depends on the hen. Some are just easier to work with than others.

 

[Raysal]

I have the opposite problem, I can't stop my hens from going broody. Right now I have a total of 7 broodies

Long time how are does hens doing

 

[Marans-copper-and-cuckoo]

i have a hen who is CONSTIANTLY going broody! she went broody 3 times last year. all in the summer! i want her to go broody this year

 

[Mac Aodha]

This is a method of forcing I have only heard of, not tried.
And yes, it might sound mean..... I have only heard this. This is way things were done in the old days. Maybe some still use this method, just don't want to be ridiculed.
Find a bucket or a container large enough to hold a hen or an older pullet. Inside the bucket, place a few eggs. Place the bird in the bucket with wire over the top and held down in a way so she can't get out. Leaving her in there, confined, in the small space with the eggs for a few days is supposed to spur her natural tendency to produce the hormone needed. Don't know if it works, I was told it worked like a charm..

Dont see anything wrong with this method. The hen would normally sit on the eggs when broody anyway. As long as you let her out for a little while each day to stretch her legs and get food and water. Ill try it and let you know how it works out.