How can I make my hen broody?

[Silver6780]

My hen has Layed over maybe 30 to 49 eggs. She lays each day but won't stop I want her to start being broody so she can hatch some beautiful chicks . How can I make her broody because I rlly need some chicks so plz do tell me

 

[rosemarythyme]

You can't. Some hens will never go broody. Other hens won't stop. Your best bet is to start with a breed of chicken that is known to be prone to broodiness, or to buy a hen that has a history of being broody.

 

[Silver6780]

This is her!

 

[Silver6780]

You can't. Some hens will never go broody. Other hens won't stop. Your best bet is to start with a breed of chicken that is known to be prone to broodiness, or to buy a hen that has a history of being broody.

I have a ISA brown and other people say that when she finishes laying eggs then they'll turn broody. So can a ISA brown turn broody

 

[rosemarythyme]

As I don't have experience with sexlinks... https://www.backyardchickens.com/reviews/isa-browns.11793/

Under broodiness it says "tends to not get broody." There's always exceptions but this does mean that it's more unlikely that she go broody.

 

[Silver6780]

As I don't have experience with sexlinks... https://www.backyardchickens.com/reviews/isa-browns.11793/

Under broodiness it says "tends to not get broody." There's always exceptions but this does mean that it's more unlikely that she go broody.

So she can't

 

[rosemarythyme]

Silkies and Buff Orpingtons are examples of two breeds that are more likely to go broody, so maybe look into getting one of those? My Buff Orp goes broody every month when it gets hotter.

 

[nightowl223]

Silkies and Buff Orpingtons are examples of two breeds that are more likely to go broody, so maybe look into getting one of those? My Buff Orp goes broody every month when it gets hotter.

I don't know about Orpingtons, but I can definitely agree with Silkies. As well, Banty Cochins will often go broody at the drop of a (well, not hat, but more than one egg at a time in the nest box). My Banty Cochins LOVE to go broody!

But no, there is no way to MAKE a chicken go broody if they don't want to.

 

[BlueBaby]

Australorp's will also go broody. I know because I had one that died in the nesting box last summer because she insistantly decided to go broody when it was 118 F. out!

 

[Latestarter]

It's not that she "can't" or that she "can"... ANY chicken "can" brood and hatch chicks. The thing is, with most production breeds today, broodiness has been bred out of them in favor of continuous egg laying. Every now and then, the "broody gene" pops back to the forefront and you'll get a production breed that will go broody.

But, no matter how you try, you can't "make" a chicken go broody. If you DO have a broody hen it's sometimes difficult to get them to stop They either will, or they won't and you won't know until one decides to do so.

Even if you do luck into a bird going broody, unless it's a known breed that broods, there's no guarantee that she'll stay with it till the end, or she may destroy the eggs or the chicks when they hatch.

Save yourself a LOT of angst and buy an incubator and YOU can brood the eggs. That way you have total control and can hatch out as many pretty littles as you desire. As an aside, eggs from 1st year layers sometimes don't do so well for hatching...