How do I "persuade" my hens to go broody again?

[ZooMummzy]

It truly is Murphy's Law: you spend months breaking your hens from being broody....then when you want your hens to be broody, they refuse.

My house chickens, a Silkie and the hen she hatched out last year, a Serama, have been broody together on and off since the Spring. I finally break down and order 8 Serama eggs (they will be arriving today or tomorrow) for them. What happens over the weekend? Both of them decide they no longer want babies

I have done everything I can think of to encourage the behavior I spent the last 6 months breaking but no luck. I cleaned their cage, I left the eggs they've laid, I've begged, pleaded and groveled....nothing. I'm in the process of trying to track down a bator (just in case and given Murphy's Law, as soon as I locate one, they will go broody) but does anyone else have persuasive techniques I can employ?

AND, how long can I leave the eggs set before they will go bad? This is only my 3rd hatch so I'm still learning. The eggs are fresh, collected over the past week and shipped out Saturday morning. This seller packs eggs really well (out of 30 eggs I received from her last December, 27 hatched) so I'm not too worried about the shipping - just how long I can leave them without a bator or broody.

 

[saladin]

Hatchability begins to decrease at day 14: for shipped eggs you can safely assume it happens more rapidily.

 

[ZooMummzy]

Thank you, that is good to know. It sounds like I need to do something by the weekend or forget it.

 

[sourland]

I'd start shopping for an incubator. I'm afraid that if they've finally given up they are done until they make up their minds to set again. Nature travels it's own course. Leaving some eggs in their nest may spark the idea, but I'm seriously doubtful.

 

[ZooMummzy]

That is exactly what I did today. It is just a simple one bought at the local feed store but lots of customers were there (appreciation night) and said they have great hatches using it. We shall see!

 

[Baralak]

Try a little wine... Soft music, some flowers.. oh... nevermind.. Yes Bator those eggs.

 

[ZooMummzy]

Quote:

 

[thaokou21]

what you need to do is get them fat. when they get fat, they will want to lay eggs. and when they lay enough, they will go broody. If you just keep feeding them layer feeder, they made never want to go broody because the layer feeder will just make them wanting to lay eggs and not broody.

 

[saladin]

Quote:
LOL. This is the most ridiculous thing I've ever read!!!!!!!!!!!

Layer feed has nothing to do with prohibiting broodiness.
Being fat will STOP a hen from laying.
Being fat has nothing to do with broodiness.

 

[ZooMummzy]

Well, I don't know the validity behind the statement but I do know that these two girls are the most spoiled (fat) chickens I have. They live inside in a cushy cage with all the trimmings. I'm pretty sure they are just being stubborn

They'll come around probably about the time my bator hatches out the chicks and they hear all that chirping lol.