How DO You get a hen interested in sitting on eggs???

[SandyC]

I want some Barred Rocks and wanted to figure out away to get my one of my hens to do the hatching. I have some Buff Orpingtons and Ameracuanas. Is there some way to do it or to tell which hen might do it? What if I were to isolate one of my hens in a pen with a bunch of eggs? Any ideas here?

 

[arlee453]

You can't make a hen go broody - its completely hormonal, and some breeds are more prone to it than others.

Buff Orps are more broody than, let's say white leghorns, but much less broody than your silkie, etc.

You just have to be patient and hope for the best.....OR get an incubator!

 

[SandyC]

How do you know when they are broody?

 

[arlee453]

They wont leave the nest - they sit there and hiss and spit at you if you try to get them to leave. And if you force them off (ie pick them up and boot them off the nest) they will go right back up there given the chance.

They will sometimes sit on nothing at all - if they go really broody they don't even have to have eggs to sit on.