Helping with Broodiness

[CalgaryFarmer]

I know it is breed dependent and individual dependent, but what can you do to assist with broodiness.

I think one is leaving eggs in the nest, and rotating them so they do not go bad until one of misses decides to take up the task. I assume fake eggs or golf balls would do the same trick.

What about isolating the hen with some eggs and an comfy nest. The lack of friends might encourage her to make some new friends.

None of my hens have ever gone broody. I have only had 4 for 2 years and another 5 are less than a year old.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Leaving fake eggs can encourage one that is already feeling the hormones, but won't make a hen with no predisposition to go broody. Time of year will help. From March to July is the best time during increasing light as well as temperatures, which fires up the broody hormones. And it does seem that broodiness is contagious, one will often cause others to go broody, that's why it's important to break them quickly before the whole flock is sitting and clucking.