how to get hens broody

[IwannaBEaMERMAID]

i have a couple of 7 month old cochin hens, neither have begun to lay eggs. But i want them to brood some eggs for me but idk if they even will because they havent even started to lay. i would incubate the eggs myself but i know im gonna mess it up right in the middle of incubation

 

[gritsar]

You can't make a hen go broody. Believe me, I've tried every trick in the book. There's one person that insists you can, but I've tried his method to a T and it didn't work.
They will go broody when they are darn good and ready and not a second before.

 

[Southernbelle]

In their minds, there's no point to going broody because they haven't laid their clutch of eggs, yet! My Silkies would go broody about 4-6 weeks after they started laying. They definately go broody on their terms and nothing I did would make them go broody or stop them from going broody. The only thing you can do is provide them with a good diet, clean quarters and a cozy nesting area. When they're ready, they'll do it.

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

I agree with the others...I have 2year old hens that wouldn't take a second look at a nest, they drop their egg and are OUTTA there in a flash, sometimes they even lay them on the floor! On the other hand, I have a silkie that only laid eggs for 2 weeks before she went broody the first time. If you want a broody, get a silkie! It's said that a silkie can smell a nest of eggs in need of setting on a mile away!! Ok, that's a little drastic, but that's how likely they are to go broody!! (In fact, I keep 1 silkie just for that very purpose!)