So I'm assuming it's not possible to "make" or "force" a chicken to go broody but are there ways to encourage it?
I've been thinking about maybe hatching some chicks or buying a few more, preferably hatching, just for fun and the experience. I was going to get an incubator but since I'm getting a camera for my birthday and incubators are expensive, I've decided to just rely on the mercy of my chickens and hope for a broody hen LOL
Soooo how do I encourage it?
I had one got broody in the fall but I broke her after a few days (I thought she'd give up on her own) so I'm hoping I can get one to go broody again? That was pretty young too since I only got them fall 2015.
I should note I'm not in any hurry to have a broody hen or hatch, if I don't get one or hatch anything, I'll be fine. I just think it would be so cool to go through the whole incubating and hatching process and everything, although I guess I'd be able to see the process and growth better in an incubator with candling?
I also want to add a few breeds too. But if there's not room, I'll gladly sell the chicks, I mostly just want the experience.
Anyway, sorry for rambling haha but basically, long story short, is there a way I can encourage broodiness? Maybe fake eggs in the boxes? Although I'm not sure that would work cause just yesterday I collected 25 eggs that I'd forgotten to collect for a few days, and I've done that before and no one has gone broody as of yet....
Yet when I didn't collect in the fall, she would jump on it.
Maybe it's just not time yet?
I have 1 Barred Rock, 2 Black Australorps, 3 Buff Orpingtons, and 2 Easter Eggers. The one that went broody was one of the Orpingtons. They came from Meyer Hatchery if that matters.
I might wait until I move them to the new coop, maybe the nice big dark boxes will encourage them
I've been thinking about maybe hatching some chicks or buying a few more, preferably hatching, just for fun and the experience. I was going to get an incubator but since I'm getting a camera for my birthday and incubators are expensive, I've decided to just rely on the mercy of my chickens and hope for a broody hen LOL
Soooo how do I encourage it?
I had one got broody in the fall but I broke her after a few days (I thought she'd give up on her own) so I'm hoping I can get one to go broody again? That was pretty young too since I only got them fall 2015.
I should note I'm not in any hurry to have a broody hen or hatch, if I don't get one or hatch anything, I'll be fine. I just think it would be so cool to go through the whole incubating and hatching process and everything, although I guess I'd be able to see the process and growth better in an incubator with candling?
I also want to add a few breeds too. But if there's not room, I'll gladly sell the chicks, I mostly just want the experience.
Anyway, sorry for rambling haha but basically, long story short, is there a way I can encourage broodiness? Maybe fake eggs in the boxes? Although I'm not sure that would work cause just yesterday I collected 25 eggs that I'd forgotten to collect for a few days, and I've done that before and no one has gone broody as of yet....
Yet when I didn't collect in the fall, she would jump on it.
Maybe it's just not time yet?
I have 1 Barred Rock, 2 Black Australorps, 3 Buff Orpingtons, and 2 Easter Eggers. The one that went broody was one of the Orpingtons. They came from Meyer Hatchery if that matters.
I might wait until I move them to the new coop, maybe the nice big dark boxes will encourage them
