Hens laying eggs but none hatching

[sourland]

Cochins are frequently broody birds.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I have mutts of my own making (mostly), can't help. Sorry.

 

[Franklinridgefarms]

Orpingtons are frequently broody. Last summer, I had an Orpington, and a New Hampshire both go broody and hatched out chicks. They were both just a little over a year old at the time.

 

[aart]

Any particular breeds know to brood?

No guarantees.

We live in western Zambia

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[Mrs. K]

Well, you can hatch with a broody hen, and it is a lot of fun. You have to be patient, and get lucky. Some birds breeds do go more broody than others, and often times mutts will go.

Use fake eggs, and pile up some in a nest, especially a favorite nest. Sometimes that will trigger it. Sometimes it is just the luck of the draw.

To increase your chance of success if you have one go broody - don't set eggs immediately, wait two or three days. I have had them think about it, set the eggs, have them change their minds, leave the nest...and then get very serious. DO WAIT.

Also mark you eggs, and setting less than a dozen eggs, less than 8 if your hen is smaller actually gives me more live chicks. Too many eggs, and as she rotates the eggs, the outside ones die, and then she rotates them again, and the live eggs go outside and they die.

Earlier this year, I tried hard to get a hen to go broody, as I had chicks ordered. Not a go, I brooded the chicks, and two weeks ago, I had a chicken go broody- and she is due to hatch next week.

good luck,

Mrs k

 

[Aunt Angus]

I second using the fake eggs. Sometimes the fake eggs can trigger the hormones, sometimes they don't.

I had a Brahma go broody for the first time in the 4 years I've owned her this spring. And my Silkies are almost always broody, but they weren't when I got my Leghorn chicks. I usually use those hens to brood, but they had different ideas.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

I don’t have an incubator… we 10 hours from the shops and on solar power. Was hoping to get the hens to incubate the eggs naturally.

They will likely start to go broody in their second year or so.
For now, you can read articles and threads on natural brooding so that you’re prepared!

 

[Waffle Wattles]

Whats funny is the threads lately on people trying to break the brood and this post can't get them to brood lol

 

[U_Stormcrow]

In time, it may happen. Even then, no guarantees.

None of my birds brooded more than a couple days before abandoning the nests their first 12 months of life. In their second year, a couple hens worked together to cover a nest (old hay bale, actually) - the flock left 50+ eggs in that nest, none hatched. Its now starting the third year for some of my birds (culling long overdue, hatching replacements in a [used to be] $80 incubator), and I have a Hoover Hatchery "Rainbow" (looks like a NH Buff Orp mix, plus who knows what else) sitting a sheltered nest again. Second time this season. The first had about 20 eggs - middle of the third week, she abandoned the whole thing. The second and current has about a dozen eggs - she pushed four out yesterday.

Not to discourage you, just to moderate expectations.

Honestly, none of my birds have every successfully hatched a clutch of eggs - but obviously nature manages. Strongly suspect my clay soils have something to do with it - they seem remarkably adept at contaminating eggs.

If, when they do go broody, you can get them to make a nest in an area you can isolate from environmental factors, your chances will be better.

Welp, I just had my first successful broody - can no longer claim 0% success. One of my ducks is sitting on ONE duckling, and about a dozen other eggs. Two ducks are still sitting a clutch of unknown size, and a chicken is also still sitting her clutch of unknown size, eggs mostly not hers.