how can i get my hen to sit on her eggs.

[shouamoua]

i have a trio of red jungle fowl. My first hen laid 12 eggs and sit on them so i moved her out of the broodpen. The second hen now has 16 eggs and doesnt seem like she is interested in sitting on them anytime soon. i have tried dimming the lights by the nest, lowering the protein in her diet, and recently, i just took the rooster out of the pen. does anyone have any other tips that could help? thanks.

 

[glucke]

i don't think you can make a hen go broody. it's a hormonal thing... but i'm interested what other folks have to say about that.

 

[sothernpride92]

some hens take to it naturally while some never do. Sometimes if a hen does not think the eggs will hatch she wont sit. If she is too young she wont sit. Weather, danger, theres all sorts of thangs that can have an affect. I had one little bantam hen when I was younger, never laid an egg her whole life but my grandfather would bring eggs to her and she would hatch them. Imagine seeing this little black hen with Rhide Island Red babies. Your best bet is to get a bunch of golf balls or wooden eggs and leave them in the nest and take the actual eggs so they dont go bad. When you start to see her staying on the nest for longer periods then she is starting to get into her setting stage. Just keep in mind that not all hens take to motherhood. My grandmother had a hen that would hatch out chicks but then would leave them on the ground at night and she would roost in a tree. Chickens have minds and personalities, each one is different. Just give her time.