How can I Make My hen go Broody?

[melodym78]

the trick to getting a hen to go broody is not wanting them too... When you feed today go out and have a talk with the ladies..... tell them it is winter and you don't want baby chicks running around.

every hen/pullet will be sitting tomorrow

Worked for me....I have little Reba my bantam black cochin hen sitting on her third batch now!

 

[leggomyegg0]

I don't think you can... they go when they want to and not before!
I got a flock of 15 brahmas.... not a broody one among them... so much for having a broody breed, LOL...

Gamehens are supposed to be pretty broody, and can hatch more eggs than a silkie... might be worth a try.

 

[billfields]

This is a good way to have hens to broody, but the best way to hatch out chicks is with an incubator. They are much more reliable. Good luck!

I dunno.....we've had incubators for what, 100 years or so and hens for tens of thousands. Seems the hens did pretty well before the incubators?

 

[Remudamom]

I've got silkies and they love to brood. Do you have a breed that tends to go broody? I encourage mine by placing an animal carrier in the coop and I'll cover it with a towel to make it nice and dark. Sometimes I'll use golf balls for fake eggs so I don't have to worry about eggs.

It's always worked, and once they stay overnight I pull out the balls or dummy eggs and put in the real ones I've been gathering. I attach food and water cups to the door of the carrier and once a day I scoop out her poop. This only works if the carrier is big enough for the hen to be comfortable, she has to have room.

Anyhow, I love this method because I can move the hen around without bothering her if I need too, the others can't bother her, if the coop gets really hot in the summer I can move her where she'll get a breeze and she's pretty safe from predators too.

My silkie that is just now hatching is in a carrier. When the babies have had 24 hours I'll move them out.

I hate using an incubator.

 

[cmom]

One of my RIW's is sitting on eggs right now. I have to take her off the nest once a day so she will eat, drink and poop otherwise she won't get off. As soon as I unblock the nest she is back on it in a flash.

 

[jed2012]

the trick to getting a hen to go broody is not wanting them too... When you feed today go out and have a talk with the ladies..... tell them it is winter and you don't want baby chicks running around.

every hen/pullet will be sitting tomorrow

my hens respect me too much to do that!

 

[jed2012]

the trick to getting a hen to go broody is not wanting them too... When you feed today go out and have a talk with the ladies..... tell them it is winter and you don't want baby chicks running around.

every hen/pullet will be sitting tomorrow

my hens respect me too much to do that!

 

[jed2012]

oops! did it 2X!

 

[mistressangyl]

I just left about four eggs in their nest and when she got to ten eggs she sat.... six out of ten hatched giving me five girls and one roo.... now i have seven girls and two roos of the Barred Rock type so cute so fun and worth the wait

 

[Guccibirds423]

WhiteCochinLover,

I love that bird in your avatar. He is gorgeous! I want one. What kind is he? I want some eggs. You have more pictures of him?