how to help my chicken go broody

[chickenmama109]

i want to help my chicken go broody what can i do to get her to want to go brood

 

[andreanar]

First, what kind of hen is she? Some go broody easier than others. You cant make a hen go broody.

 

[chickenmama109]

i have a duccle rir white leghorn barred rock

 

[andreanar]

Youd have better luck with a silkie or cochin.

 

[chickenmama109]

what about my duccle

 

[andreanar]

I don't have much experience with them. I just know that chickens brood when they want. you could try leaving fake eggs in the nest to entice her.

 

[chickenmama109]

well it is getting cold out will that make her not go brood

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I've had a hatchery barred rock raise a clutch and she was a great mum! But that was in her second year, no signs the first year. Which is actually how I prefer it. I won't let a non mature hen set because they are still growing. And when they do sit, they lose condition fairly fast and start getting shaky and such.

That being said, I've seen tons of threads about allegedly NON broody breeds being plenty broody. Someone local had a broody sex link successfully sit and hatch/raise chicks!

IMO, the best thing you can do to encourage a hens broody hormones to kick in is give GOOD nutrition and plenty of space and resources. Make them feel super safe. In the wild animals may be influenced by these (I know they are), so it should help here to. Please note I don't mean extra corn or bread, but things with actual nutrient. The amino acids in animal protein are a great source. Even though many chicken feeds are mostly corn anyways, they have nutrients added to meet the needs of birds in captivity. I feed 20% protein flock raiser since I have different age birds, with OS on the side for layers.

My brooders include Swedish Flower hens, French Black Copper Marans, the Rock, and most of my Sillkies. But my silkies go broody every 3rd egg. Good luck hatching any of your own at that rate. My Cochin never went broody. So I will say that while there are tendencies, it's completely an individual thing.

Best!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

well it is getting cold out will that make her not go brood

Could you relay that to my Silkies in a way they can understand? My broody breaker rarely gets a break and today is no exception!

 

[MillersFarm]

i have a duccle rir white leghorn barred rock

The one most likely to go broody out of all of those is the duccle banty. the rest aren't really the type for going broody. how old is your duccle? Most hens will go broody the most in the middle of age 1 and 3. (mostly in their second year) You wont get a broody now since its getting cold out but you could get one late spring or early summer.

But before you hatch anything you of course need a rooster to fertilize the eggs. Another big thing is you will need to know what to do with all the roosters you might hatch out and i'm sure your parents don't want to go through that. When hatching eggs you're bound to get more than one rooster which you'll either need to re-home or butcher. You might want to do some research before hatching anything.