how to get girls in the brood?

[larsalan]

The roo is a barred rock I think and he's pretty hefty size. And 2 girls are cuckoo marans the other a mix. I think these maran and barred roo would make great hearty progeny. The mixed girl is quite smaller than the 2 marans.
I may try and mark some eggs as a decoy clutch. Just write on them and then eat other eggs that aren't marked.
There are other issues too. I had been told to turn a egg crate on it's side so any chicks could walk out of there. The problem is the crates are on shelves like 3 foot off the ground and I would worry about them falling to an early demise. Also it's quite dark in the coop. Should I leave a light on in there?

 

[centrarchid]

The roo is a barred rock I think and he's pretty hefty size. And 2 girls are cuckoo marans the other a mix. I think these maran and barred roo would make great hearty progeny. The mixed girl is quite smaller than the 2 marans.
I may try and mark some eggs as a decoy clutch. Just write on them and then eat other eggs that aren't marked.
There are other issues too. I had been told to turn a egg crate on it's side so any chicks could walk out of there. The problem is the crates are on shelves like 3 foot off the ground and I would worry about them falling to an early demise. Also it's quite dark in the coop. Should I leave a light on in there?

Natural light is adequate.

We used to have hens routinely nest in loft of barn and bitties had to fall a good 10 feet to ground approximately 1 day following hatch. Ground was sometimes packed and frozen. A very conservative estimate of hundreds of chicks making such a jump resulted in no losses due to injury from fall. Losses were from falling before hen came down and sufferning exposure or falling into manger and inadvertantly being consumed with hay by cattle.

If ground not accessible predators to predators, then move nest to ground on day of hatch.

 

[JessieWessner]

Thank you! I'm going to try putting a clutch of fake easter eggs in a couple of boxes to see if I can get any broody behavior going. Who knows what may happen? Never thought having hens could be this much fun! They are all so sweet and gentle. (cept for the rooster, he's a sneak attack meanie)

 

[larsalan]

I have another plan now. There is a whole mess of eggs in the milk crate that the hens have been laying in and no one seems interested in sitting on them. I know it has been only a few days. Maybe though I will try and put some eggs in this 'nest' out in the pen. One girl has dug a pretty nice hole that I think she just sits in. Not really a dirt bath just a place she tucks into. Maybe I can fill that up and put some cover over that part to keep the rain/sun off her. But maybe she will be to used to going into the coop every night and will leave the eggs out in the pen. Hmm, I just want some chicks now!

 

[larsalan]

Wait, now I read that they will want a darker secluded space for the nest. Too bad their coop is so tight. Anyway I have made the best little spot I can and I read that these marans are supposed to be good brooders. I just start dating all the eggs in pencil and see if we can carry some to chicks.
Hope you can all see pics of these new babies soon

 

[centrarchid]

Wait, now I read that they will want a darker secluded space for the nest. Too bad their coop is so tight. Anyway I have made the best little spot I can and I read that these marans are supposed to be good brooders. I just start dating all the eggs in pencil and see if we can carry some to chicks.
Hope you can all see pics of these new babies soon

The like a darker secluded location if they have many options. At some point nesting materials and bowl shape of location enter into thought process.

 

[Tripp16]

In case someone hasnt already answered your question Ill put my two cents worth in.

I have broody hen now with two chicks and they worth a million dollars!! Oh it is so much easier than sticking them in a brooder the hen does everything!

Anyways you asked how to get them to brood, its a hormones thing when a hen becomes broody she pretty much snaps out of nice hen stage and becomes Moody broody, (as I call it). When my hen went broody (shes a bantam hen BTW) she layed a clutch of eggs it had 8 eggs when she started well they werent fertile so I switched them out one night for fertile ones when she went broody. My opinion you cants make them broody but you can stimulate them by leaving a few eggs in the nest along with some golf balls. My layer hens move golf balls from nest to nest along with 10 eggs in each nest! (almost) Lol

I am waiting patiently and you will have to too. Eventually they will commit if they are going to. It may depend on the breed you have.

 

[larsalan]

I dunno what to do, just wait maybe. My neighbor may get a broody hen to be a surrogate. How can I candle an egg. Just wait 7-10 days from when it's laid? Or is it 7-10 days after they are heat activated?

 

[karlamaria]

I have a hen that has gone broody several times this year, and she just turned a year old lol. She is once again broody, but I can not find eggs to sit under her. We have no rooster, poor girl, also getting my coop worked on soon so no way to allow her to set yet. It will be cute when she does have chicks
She is a buff, and buffs are a broody breed and good egg layer!

 

[larsalan]

Well let's not count our chicks before they're hatched but...
One of these hens is starting to look like she can maybe be a mother.
She doesn't sit on the clutch all day but I have seen her spend quite a bit of time on there. I wonder if a nightlight will help her. I see her up on a roost in the coop in the morning but, she will keep those eggs warm often during the day. She's the largest of the three and has her dozen on the floor in a nice big bowl of straw.
We'll have to get out a pencil and get her to stay on a load of fresh ones.