How do I get my hen to go broody?

[gckiddhouse]

I love that all you people are chick hatching obsessed. I think you are all wonderful. However, I don't share that obsession. I thought that having chicks was fun, but a LOT of work!!! I don't have time for that again. I love my full grown, self feeding, egg giving, lovelies. I do want more chickens, though.
How do i get more chickens? Well, I do have a rooster, but he isn't of a breed that I want. He and the hen that matches him are not nice. He is a good roo. He can stay, i just don't want his offspring.
I don't like the idea of buying full grown chickens. I don't know where they've been, ya know?
I could get older pullets, like 6-8 weeks. But I don't know about the whole quarantine process. I don't have the facilities for that.
What I really want to do is get fertile eggs and have one of my hens do all that work in raising the little darlings.
I have a BO who was spending about half the day in her box, screeching at anyone who dared open the door while she was there. But now she isn't really doing that. I was really hopeful. I tried putting all the eggs under her to see if she would set, but she left them.

How do I get a half broody hen to go all the way?? Can it be done?? Help!

 

[ginbart]

Well good morning, from what I have been reading I don't think you can make them. I'm sure when someone else gets on here that knows more than me they can help you out. I think if you do a search you could find a lot of answers there.

 

[Mrs MIA]

Nope... I've never heard of anyone making a hen go broody. You just kind of have to wait for them to do it on their own. Having silkies and millies, I usually don't have to wait too long for one or another to go broody on me...

 

[gckiddhouse]

Do they go broody on one egg? I collect eggs every day. Should i leave her eggs out there or put dummy eggs in for her to feel like there is a whole clutch?

Don't they go broody only when there is a clutch to start incubating. I know that they don't incubate until they have a clutch, right?

 

[cw]

i dont think you can make a hen go broody.
i have heard some say you can though by isolating the hen in a dark box with a nest, leave her alone for a week or so.

make sure she has food and water and a little room to strech. like i said i dont know if this will work but i have heard others say it will work

 

[92caddy]

cw-----------it DOES work, I have done it many of times..........

 

[cw]

how long do you have to leave them?
(you the one with the red white blue, game roo?)
will it work on all breeds?

 

[92caddy]

It all depends on the breed and the hen, some take a day or 2 and some can take a week or so. If you have a silkie, they will sit at the drop of a hat, some breeds are not sitters. I keep mutt banties just for sitting on eggs.

Not me with the roo.

 

[cw]

what about plymouth rocks both barred and white? i heard both ways? some say they will never brood others say they cant stop em?

 

[92caddy]

From my past exp. most of your heavier breeds are not good setters, you will find a few that will, but they are not as good as the banty are. Just my exp...............