How do you get a chicken to go broody

[JasperMoon]

Yes! Golfballs are often used as "fake eggs" to teach hens to lay in the nest boxes.

sweet I have pleanty of thoes at my house

 

[JasperMoon]

These are living creatures, and have wills of their own and will do as their biologies dictate. First thing, I would ask the previous owner if any of these birds have gone broody before. I wouldn't call silkies 'special needs', but introducing a silky to an established flock of larger birds would be difficult/dangerous because of the nature of the pecking order. On her own a hen will gradually build/lay a clutch of eggs over a period of time. (this dispels the theory that eggs can only be held 10 days till incubation) Does this cause her to go broody ? I don't know, but I don't think so. Placing several artificial nest eggs in a nest will do no harm, but I am uncertain if it will help induce broodiness.

Did I get the idea yesterday that you have an incubator ? Until you find if any of your birds will go broody this may be an option. Does the black bird have 5 toes on each foot ? If so she may have silky blood which would greatly increase the chances that she will go broody. Since your Dad is interested in egg production, getting chicks from a known broody breed this spring might be another option. Be patient, a way to build your flock will become evident.

We will be getting an incubator, he wants egg, chicks, and meat (from older birds) and I will have to count her toes when I get home, but she is an older bird, and I do not believe she has been laying any eggs since they are large creamy light brown of color, as a young biginner I just do not know much things about chickens, and have to follow what my father sais, but he trust me. he does make the final disission, if my EE where to be part silkie would introducing a silkie be an issue?

 

[staceyj]

Yikes. Be careful what you wish for.

Broodiness takes an enormous toll on a bird physically.

As the owner of an often broody hen I will say there is nothing that will "make" a bird go broody, but their own internal hormones which you cannot control.

Leaving eggs in the nest to encourage this behavior is a wives-tale.

Conversely, "Breaking" broody behavior is difficult as well and no matter how many suggestions people may give you, absolutely NONE of them are 100% successful. -I have tried THEM ALL.

The breeds you mentioned are unfortunately NOT breeds that are likely to successfully brood all the way from incubation to weaning.

If having that experience is high on your chicken bucket list, I highly recommend acquiring one of the breeds known to be broody such as Orpingtons (among others) as they can become broody as soon as shortly after they reach POL at six months of age.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

All I could find at TSC were white eggs; my hens all lay brown eggs. Whether brown fakes would have made a difference I don't know.

A brown permanent marker solves that problem.

 

[JasperMoon]

Yikes. Be careful what you wish for.

Broodiness takes an enormous toll on a bird physically.

As the owner of an often broody hen I will say there is nothing that will "make" a bird go broody, but their own internal hormones which you cannot control.

Leaving eggs in the nest to encourage this behavior is a wives-tale.

Conversely, "Breaking" broody behavior is difficult as well and no matter how many suggestions people may give you, absolutely NONE of them are 100% successful. -I have tried THEM ALL.

The breeds you mentioned are unfortunately NOT breeds that are likely to successfully brood all the way from incubation to weaning.

If having that experience is high on your chicken bucket list, I highly recommend acquiring one of the breeds known to be broody such as Orpingtons (among others) as they can become broody as soon as shortly after they reach POL at six months of age.

thank you, I will hopefully be getting a silkie for myself as a pet, (got to conferm with my father first though) but we would like some hens for producing eggs, and some for hatching eggs, we have a minifarm and want to live off the land

 

[staceyj]

sweet I have pleanty of thoes at my house

Balls of any type may "suggest" to a newly laying pullet that "this is the place"
But unfortunately NO, it will not trigger "broodiness".

 

[kwhites634]

Yikes. Be careful what you wish for.

Broodiness takes an enormous toll on a bird physically.

As the owner of an often broody hen I will say there is nothing that will "make" a bird go broody, but their own internal hormones which you cannot control.

Leaving eggs in the nest to encourage this behavior is a wives-tale.

Conversely, "Breaking" broody behavior is difficult as well and no matter how many suggestions people may give you, absolutely NONE of them are 100% successful. -I have tried THEM ALL.

The breeds you mentioned are unfortunately NOT breeds that are likely to successfully brood all the way from incubation to weaning.

If having that experience is high on your chicken bucket list, I highly recommend acquiring one of the breeds known to be broody such as Orpingtons (among others) as they can become broody as soon as shortly after they reach POL at six months of age.

 

[JasperMoon]

Balls of any type may "suggest" to a newly laying pullet that "this is the place"
But unfortunately NO, it will not trigger "broodiness".

ok! I have 5 hens 1 roo, and only 2 are laying, though ive cought our roo several times breeding with the same hen, would that be an issue, do you think that maybe she might? I am not sure i am 100% new at this

 

[sourland]

If you are bound and determined to get a silky, (and there is nothing wrong with that) consider getting 2 or 3 and the possibility that they will have to be maintained separately from your other birds.

 

[Welshies]

ok! I have 5 hens 1 roo, and only 2 are laying, though ive cought our roo several times breeding with the same hen, would that be an issue, do you think that maybe she might? I am not sure i am 100% new at this

Any hen could go broody, even one not being bred. However, only the fertile eggs would hatch out. Your rooster should be able to cover all your hens without issue.