encouraging broodiness

[exop]

Hi all, I have some incubator heated eggs due to hatch in the next week, and had several broody hens who were happily sitting in the nesting box until just last week. I planned to put the new chicks under a broody hen, as usual (I have some very good moms), but voilà! Suddenly the moms are all up and about.

Any suggestions for how best to persuade one or more of these derelictors to resume her nesting duties?

Best - exop

 

[nordahlbunch]

For my daughters science project (we needed a broody hen) we turned on a light in the coop to lengthen the daylight hours and put about 10 store bought eggs in a nest. Within a few days, we had a broody hen. We then replaced the store bought eggs with fertile eggs. But it also depends on the hen. Good luck!