How to hens go broody? (Sp?)

[laruecharles]

I tried hard to get the eggs to roll away from the chickens and finally succeeded. The eggs rolled into a tray beneath the coop. But then they stopped laying or layed an egg in the poop tray and ate it there. I went back to putting a ceramic egg in the nest and that worked. They aren't eating their eggs anymore, for now at least. But I'm puzzled. Both ceramic eggs have disappeared from the coop. I've looked for them in the litter, in the attached chicken run, outside the run. Are my chickens magicians?

 

[Cryss]

Chickens have been known to move fake eggs. Another very good possibility is snake. They will swallow eggs whole and don't know the difference between real and fake.

 

[cmom]

I use golf balls in my nest boxes and have found 2 or 3 golf balls in one nest box. I never actually saw them move the golf balls. I was going to put a camera out there but it hasn't happened in a long time.

 

[rosemarythyme]

So I take it a broody hen is just something that happens. It also sounds to be more of a negative thing verses something I want to happen.

Is hot sauce too mean for them lol

Broodiness is not inherently positive or negative. If you have birds primarily for eggs, then broody = no eggs until the broodiness is broken. Or if you just aren't planning to hatch, then it's a nuisance because it disrupts the flock. If you do want to hatch via hen, then broodiness is a desirable trait.

Hot sauce won't work, birds don't have receptors for capsaicin so they aren't affected by "hot."