how to get a hen to brood

[Eden Mitchell]

My Hens haven't been broody for years, and I was wondering if anyone had some thought about getting them to become broody.

 

[sourland]

If they haven't been broody in years, you may be dealing with non broody breeds. What breeds do you have? Some think that allowing a hen to create a clutch may inspire broodiness.

 

[ijon]

You are not going to get them to brood. They do that by themselves. I have one that never quits.

 

[janiedoe]

Hens brood when they have a hormonal need to brood. You cannot make them go broody.
I have a hen that goes broody every 3 months on HER schedule not mine. A couple of years ago, I left eggs (changed them out every other day) in a favorite nest for 2 weeks hoping she would go broody on my schedule. Nope.
If you want a broody make sure you purchase broody breads. Good luck to you!

 

[Ridgerunner]

What they said. Different times I've tried adding an egg a day to a nest, both fake eggs and marked sacrificial eggs, until I got a dozen, then left them for a couple of weeks. I once had a hen go broody on a different nest when I did this but I don't think that counts. Using a Kentucky Fried poster in my lecture of why they should go broody didn't help either. That poster has never worked, even when I used it to explain why they should start laying eggs. They just don't listen.

Many chickens, especially production breeds, have had the broodiness bred out of them. When a hen goes broody they are not laying eggs and they disrupt the henhouse. In those cases the hens are often permanently removed from the flock. Their eggs are not hatched to produce the next generation. If you make going broody a fatal condition, in a few generations you have a flock where very few go broody. That's why Sourland asked about your breeds.

Even if you have a breed that does often go broody, some individuals never do. It's not just breed, the individuals are all different too. I've had breeds that are supposed to go broody a lot yet many individuals never did. And I've had breeds where they are not supposed to go broody but some did. I could never get the ones that went broody to go broody on my schedule.

The only way you can control hatching eggs is to get an incubator and use it. Just showing it to them doesn't work, you have to hatch the eggs yourself. They just won't listen.

 

[janiedoe]

What they said. Different times I've tried adding an egg a day to a nest, both fake eggs and marked sacrificial eggs, until I got a dozen, then left them for a couple of weeks. I once had a hen go broody on a different nest when I did this but I don't think that counts. Using a Kentucky Fried poster in my lecture of why they should go broody didn't help either. That poster has never worked, even when I used it to explain why they should start laying eggs. They just don't listen.

Many chickens, especially production breeds, have had the broodiness bred out of them. When a hen goes broody they are not laying eggs and they disrupt the henhouse. In those cases the hens are often permanently removed from the flock. Their eggs are not hatched to produce the next generation. If you make going broody a fatal condition, in a few generations you have a flock where very few go broody. That's why Sourland asked about your breeds.

Even if you have a breed that does often go broody, some individuals never do. It's not just breed, the individuals are all different too. I've had breeds that are supposed to go broody a lot yet many individuals never did. And I've had breeds where they are not supposed to go broody but some did. I could never get the ones that went broody to go broody on my schedule.

The only way you can control hatching eggs is to get an incubator and use it. Just showing it to them doesn't work, you have to hatch the eggs yourself. They just won't listen.

I didn't know whether to or so here's both...
P.s. I always watch your posts and have learned a lot from them. Thank you.

 

[Eden Mitchell]

Ok thanks guys, I may try an incubator, but was just hoping to do natural births.
They are ISA browns. silly chickens
this website is real cool by the way.

 

[LateBirdFarms]

Just for the record, I've never had a production red go broody and I kept them as my only breed for years up until last year. Lots of eggs, no sitting.