How Do We?

[watsonlane]

We're trying to get the Queens to start sitting on the eggs to hatch.......We're finding they aren't sitting on them. Is there a way to get them to sit the eggs so they will hatch? Thanks!!!

 

[sourland]

When you say Queens, are you talking about Cinnamon Queens? If so it is rather unlikely that they will go broody. They have been selected to be egg producing machines and most of the broody tendency has been bred out of them.

 

[watsonlane]

no, I just mean the "girls" in the coop. They are not Cinnamon Queens, haven't heard of that bread before.

 

[esther5]

hi
i have just successfully made 2 hens go broody. i was asking the same question and found a thread and followed the instructions. it worked with hen 1 so i then tried hen 2. they are both now seriously broody....

here's how.
find a nest sized fully enclosed box with vent holes and a door. i used one like this



i then made a tempting nest and put 6 eggs from our refrigerator in it. (all but 3 of out chickens were killed by a fox so these eggs were from my girls who ran with bert who was also killed.)

shut the reluctant chicken in, let her out the next morning for 20-30 mins then return her. let her out again in the afternoon, same thing.i leave a bit of food in with the hens.

at first both hens sat on them but got off and wouldn't choose to go back but after 3-5 days of following the above, both hens returned of their own accord. i then replaced the duff eggs with fertile eggs left over from our girls. chicken 1 , odette, is sitting on 8 candling looks good. due to hatch on wednesday. chicken 2 , princess is just starting out on 6 silkie eggs i purchased yesterday.

surprise surprise, i checked the duff eggs after removing them and several are growing??? they are in the incubator.

hope you find something that works. it is spring in uk so a good time to try and kickstart nature...