Eggs Laying Around=Trigger Broodiness?

[Chickhelper99]

Ive tried golf balls but none of the chickens seem interested there is only one per nest box should i try putting more than one in a box?

 

[Chickhelper99]

I think you're right.



It can but it isn't that simple. First I would say, what breeds are you talking about and what time of year?
It is virtually impossible with hy-line poultry that have been selected to lay daily and not set. If you want them to set, make the nest attractive for such and keep golf balls or fake eggs in there. If you don't want setters, make the nest less attractive. Keep its light brighter and nest pad less comfortable.

what is a nest pad? how could i make it more comfy for the chicken?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Nest pads are manufactured things that fit in a normal nest box.
The plastic ones are easy to clean but aren't particularly attractive to broodies.
Excelsior nest pads are better for that.
Straw or dried grass is comfy too.
A dark nest box is preferred. Place it under windows so light doesn't shine in. If need be, put curtains on after they start using it.

I read a paper once that suggested a hen sitting on eggs that the hard globes pressing against the underbelly tends to stimulate those hormones.

 

[Chickhelper99]

Thanks

 

[MesMama]

In nature, that's the clue to begin setting. With all the disparate breeds we have now, some like silkies and cochins go broody at the drop of a hat and others like most Mediterranean breeds rarely do. That said, I had a black leghorn hen that raised a couple batches of chicks every year and an Orpington that never went broody.

That makes sense Instinct is really something!

 

[MesMama]

In my mind I'm convinced of it. If I gather the eggs several times a day I don't have much of a broody problem but if I get busy and leave a lot of eggs in the nests several days & overnight then 3-4 hens will go broody. Fact or just coincidence, not sure which.
I have several hens that have been in the Broody Jail 4, 5, & 6 times this year. If left on their own accord the same hens only go broody and hatch chicks twice a year.

I have one hen that is that way, she tried to go broody last fall 4 times :O She was seriously on a mission! Broody jail works great!

 

[MesMama]

I keep fake eggs in the nests. When my bird went broody I took out the fake eggs she was sitting on, but then all the chickens started laying on the floor under the shelf the nesting boxes sit on. Very inconvenient since I am disabled with a bad back.

Mine do that as well, very annoying. My husband built 2 sets of nesting boxes, 8 nice comfy nesting boxes and where do they lay? .....yep, on the floor under the nesting boxes

 

[MesMama]

Nest pads are manufactured things that fit in a normal nest box.
The plastic ones are easy to clean but aren't particularly attractive to broodies.
Excelsior nest pads are better for that.
Straw or dried grass is comfy too.
A dark nest box is preferred. Place it under windows so light doesn't shine in. If need be, put curtains on after they start using it.

I read a paper once that suggested a hen sitting on eggs that the hard globes pressing against the underbelly tends to stimulate those hormones.

Interesting!