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

 

[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...

 

[Bluechick2u]

Put a craigslist ad up for a broody hen, alot of people dont want them. I had a buff orpington that never went broody once, and my lavender, black and chocolate orpington hens never have yet, but my speckled sussex and bresse sure do! They tend to go broody in August though.

 

[nightowl223]

Wow it's always bad luck for me I'm going to kill myself right now and commit suicide I swear over something stupid I will since ISA brown can't hatch eggs and my incubator idk what's wrong with it

Oh, sweetie, please realize that raising chickens is a roller coaster, and there WILL be "downs," but there will also be "UPs" that make it all worthwhile! And, just something personal, but I really, really don't like someone joking about suicide. I've lost two friends to suicide, my youngest son lost one of his good friends to suicide the day before their class graduated, and our little town has lost two good men to suicide (from PTSD after coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan). It hurts me, physically, when people joke about suicide like you did. PLEASE tell me that it's just a joke, though. Otherwise, I will post the suicide hotline for you. I really will. That's how sensitive I am about it.

 

[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.

 

[nightowl223]

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!

That's one reason why I always make sure broodies get OFF the nest at least once a day, because some will, like yours, literally kill themselves to stay on their eggs.

 

[BlueBaby]

That's one reason why I always make sure broodies get OFF the nest at least once a day, because some will, like yours, literally kill themselves to stay on their eggs.

Yes, as I found that out last summer. Good thing that I already had some of her eggs in an egg carton in the house ready for the incubator. I hatched out a splash Australorp pullet that look's just like she did.

 

[Latestarter]

Wow it's always bad luck for me I'm going to kill myself right now and commit suicide I swear over something stupid I will since ISA brown can't hatch eggs and my incubator idk what's wrong with it

That is not even something to joke about... If you are serious, please seek out help NOW! That would indeed be a pretty stupid reason to take your own life. You can buy an incubator for less than $100. You could probably find one cheaper than that on Craigs List. Hell, you could build one easily enough with a cardboard box or old cooler and a couple of 60 watt lightbulbs. There are threads here detailing how.

 

[BlueBaby]

But I can't even get another breed I'm so angry right now I just broke my younger stsiters toy cuz I was so pissed they wouldn't let me get another breed /

Your younger sister didn't have anything to do with your parent's decision. You should buy her a new toy and tell her that you are sorry.

 

[Latestarter]

Without a rooster, you won't be hatching any eggs regardless... Do you have a rooster to fertilize the hen's eggs? I don't recall you mentioning...