How to get a hen to go broody when it is too cold for prolactin?

[Leilukka]

The overnight temperature is still in the 40s and highs in the 50s and 60s. Tonight is particularly cold since today's high was 43 degrees. We are now on day 10 from the first laid egg. These eggs are fertile and we have eight of them. We have a black australorp and have left the 8 eggs in the nesting box to try to encourage broodiness. We do not have access to an incubator so the only way to start incubating these eggs is under a hen. It is too cold for prolactin to kick in. Since there is no incubator available on this 10th day since the first egg, I decided to get our black australorp from the large coop where the other chickens are and just put her in the 9 square foot coop alone with the nesting box of eggs. I just did this now. Is it okay that she is roosting alone in there? Do I need to grab her friend and put a friend with her in the coop with the eggs? Are there any other suggestions? Thank you.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Have your birds ever gone broody at all?

I've had chickens go broody in the dead of winter.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

You misunderstand broodiness as my temps rarely ever exceed those ranges and I've had broodies (and successful hatches) galore.

Why must it be the Australorp?? What other hens do you have?

No, what you're doing is not really helping her or your flock as they're social creatures.., put her back and leave her alone.., if a hen is gonna go broody.. she'll let you know. Mine do it even when I collect every egg daily.

Leave fake eggs in the nest.. provide plenty of space, fresh feed, water etc.. and let nature take it's course. Some birds never will go broody and others won't stop.

First eggs are never truly preferred for incubation anyways as many new layer reproductive hiccups may take place as the system comes online and works out it's kinks/synchronize and the egg likely haven't yet reached their full size if only starting 10 days ago..,

I know it's an exciting idea.. be patient, maybe it will happen!

 

[Huntmaster]

I know it's an exciting idea.. be patient, maybe it will happen!

Perfect advice you can't make a hen go broody you can only encourage it as you have been doing.

 

[Leilukka]

Have your birds ever gone broody at all?

I've had chickens go broody in the dead of winter.

Yes, our black australorp is usually easy to go broody. She's done it twice before. On the first hatch, only one survived to adulthood, a rooster. On the second hatch, she only hatched one chick out of the 2 fertilized eggs and that pullet did not survive to adulthood. So, I don't know if chickens have feelings like crows do? Maybe she is still mourning her other foster chicks?
LOL

 

[nuthatched]

Yes, our black australorp is usually easy to go broody. She's done it twice before. On the first hatch, only one survived to adulthood, a rooster. On the second hatch, she only hatched one chick out of the 2 fertilized eggs and that pullet did not survive to adulthood. So, I don't know if chickens have feelings like crows do? Maybe she is still mourning her other foster chicks?
LOL

She doesn't remember them.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Yes, our black australorp is usually easy to go broody. She's done it twice before. On the first hatch, only one survived to adulthood, a rooster. On the second hatch, she only hatched one chick out of the 2 fertilized eggs and that pullet did not survive to adulthood. So, I don't know if chickens have feelings like crows do? Maybe she is still mourning her other foster chicks?
LOL

I don't think she's mourning her lost chicks. It's survival of the fittest with hens with chicks.

A stressful coop can actually reduce the chance a hen will go broody. Less stress, or happy coop can trigger hens to go broody. Had like 7 broodies in one coop once.

 

[Leilukka]

You misunderstand broodiness as my temps rarely ever exceed those ranges and I've had broodies (and successful hatches) galore.

Why must it be the Australorp?? What other hens do you have?

No, what you're doing is not really helping her or your flock as they're social creatures.., put her back and leave her alone.., if a hen is gonna go broody.. she'll let you know. Mine do it even when I collect every egg daily.

Leave fake eggs in the nest.. provide plenty of space, fresh feed, water etc.. and let nature take it's course. Some birds never will go broody and others won't stop.

First eggs are never truly preferred for incubation anyways as many new layer reproductive hiccups may take place as the system comes online and works out it's kinks/synchronize and the egg likely haven't yet reached their full size if only starting 10 days ago..,

I know it's an exciting idea.. be patient, maybe it will happen!

Thank you. The Australorp has gone broody before. We have a young hen around 7 months old which is an Ameraucana. Our Australorp is 5 years old. Okay, good tip that the first eggs from a rooster need to work out the genetic kinks. Okay, so don't just put her with the eggs. Got it. She is roosting with the others. I had just done that a few nights and the eggs got poopy. So, that was a fail. Not good to try to hatch poopy eggs. Okay, I'll have to stay patient then.

 

[Leilukka]

Okay,

She doesn't remember them.

thanks.

 

[RiDaGeckoGuy]

Yes, our black australorp is usually easy to go broody. She's done it twice before. On the first hatch, only one survived to adulthood, a rooster. On the second hatch, she only hatched one chick out of the 2 fertilized eggs and that pullet did not survive to adulthood. So, I don't know if chickens have feelings like crows do? Maybe she is still mourning her other foster chicks?
LOL

Ok I don’t know the exact brain stuff but if one of my chickens best friends die they are sad but the moms have no feelings for lost chicks. Also why did you say LOL, you know you just said “laughing out loud” for a mother mourning her dead children