Can you MAKE a hen go BROODY?

[chickkrzi]

Well as far as "MAKING " a hen go broody. It's not going to happen for most hens, not saying that every hen will follow that rule, but most will not. Now can you entice one to go? Humm not sure. I do what my grandmother did back in thd days. I'll leave 10-15 eggs in the nest, marking each one by the date they where layed (on end of air sack). Then remove the oldest one as they lay newer ones and mark them. That way they will always have the freshest eggs under her if they do go broody. This is my first time with Welsh Harlequin ducks. I had no ideal when or even if my ducks would go broody. So last month i put 4 eggs in my incubator just to besure the eggs were fertile. (You ALWAYS wont to be sure your eggs are fertile before trying this). And once i saw they were developing, i started saving back eggs. And after i got the amount of eggs needed I started rotating out the eggs until one of them went broody. Im thinking it took just over 3 weeks before that happen. And as you can see in the pic it worked!!!

 

[Shahzaib]

When your hen goes to the nest box to lay an egg, put about 2-3 eggs under her and keep watching her. She will gently put those eggs in a proper way under her. IT WORKED FOR ME. HOPE THIS WORKS FOR YOU TOO!
NOTE: Put the eggs one by one under her.

 

[jaxchic]

My little girls are so broody I just leave piles of eggs for them. I originally only had two piles but the third hen was fighting for the eggs so I made her a pile too.

 

[Shahzaib]

When your hen goes to nest box to lay an egg.After a few minutes put about 2-3 eggs under her at first and keep watching,the hen will gently put those eggs in proper way under her. I DID THIS A WEEK AGO AND IT WORKED. HOPE THIS WORKS FOR YOU TOO! MY HEN IS NOT IN THOSE BREEDS WHICH GO BROODY BUT I DID IT AND THE HEN IS TAKING GOOD CARE OF THE EGGS!
NOTE: PUT THE EGGS ONE BY ONE AND SLOWLY UNDER HER! THIS TIP WOULD BEST WORK IF THE HEN IS FREINDLY WITH YOU AND IS NOT AFRAID!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Yoyo with chick]

My aunt who has been a chicken owner for many years told me that all you have to do is make them a little nest in a box with the eggs and after about 24 hours she will go broody.

 

[Phoenixxx]

Get some chicks!

I've been waiting and waiting and waiting for one of mine to go broody but it just wasn't happening. A month ago a friend loaned me an incubator. My first batch hatched exactly a week ago. Since the age of two days, I've been putting the babies outside in their own little pen for the daytimes. One of my hens took a particular interest in them, and I think they flipped a switch in her... Two days ago, she started sitting in an empty nest, and slept there. Yesterday, she left for a few hours in the morning but resumed sitting after another hen laid an egg. Later on, I thought, hmmm... I think she's serious... So I robbed her of that egg and gave her 9 out of the incubator (I started another batch a few days ago) and so far, so good!

 

[abbymckinn]

I know I'm late to post, but I have tried and tried to get my hens to go broody and nothing worked. Then a friend of my moms told us that putting some fresh spearmint, and lemon balm can make them go broody. She put some spearmint in their coop, next day out speckled Sussex goes broody! Go figure.

 

[WildChildChirp]

I was told placing a hen on a nest of eggs in total darkness (late at night) and letting her wake up on the eggs would spur her into the process. Has anyone had success with this method?

 

[fleedo]

you should get silkies they are the best

 

[Msyr]

It is possible, but hard. You have to leave some eggs in the box your hen lay her eggs. I got my new Hampshire hens in May. They are known to not lay on eggs, but I got my hen broody! I also have a rooster, so most of my eggs are fertile. Hope this helped