Getting Ready To Hatch Eggs

[CayleeMarie03]

Okay I just got my roo!!!! I am going to breed him to one of my leghorns! I am just finishing my chicken tractor. Should I put my roo and hen in there together?? Or should I leave them with the others and hope her eggs get fertilized. What can I do to get my hen to go broody?

 

[sumi]

If you want to breed from a specific hen it's better to separate her and the roo. Then you're guaranteed fertile eggs. You can't "make" her go broody, but you can encourage her by leaving her eggs in the nest box. Write the date on the eggs with a non-toxic marker (I use an eye make-up pencil), so you know which eggs are fresh and which are older. If she doesn't sit after she'd laid 12-14 eggs start removing the older eggs.
This usually works with my hens, but it can take awhile. Good luck!