Is there a way to cause broodiness?

[Little Jerry Seinfeld]

I always hear about how to break broody hens, but sometimes i find a pile of wild eggs, (from my peacocks or turkeys ) or like now i want to hatch more coturnix quails out, not in an incubator though, i didnt have too good of success incubating quail eggs.
So is there any way you can cause broodiness? It should happen sooner or later, i know. After all, this year i got silkies and cochin bantams for the sole purpose of broody hens. The cochins have been laying for almost 2 months now and the silkies just a couple weeks, but None show any signs of broodiness... would it help if i made more places for them to find quiet spots in? Im working on a new better chicken house for my bantams right now, so i can probably do something like that.

 

[Dona Worry]

Following! I am curious about this as well, although I have no desire to hatch eggs currently.

 

[EggWalrus]

The only thing I can think of that might work would be to put a pile of eggs in one of the nest boxes. Sometimes, when hens see a clutch of eggs, it triggers something and they stop laying and go broody.
I usually mark about 8 eggs with a pencil, leave them in the nest, and pull out the ones without pencil mark. About once a week or sooner if the eggs start getting dirty, change them out with new eggs. It's worked for me but then again, the girls may have been about to go broody anyway.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

No there is not, its hormonal.

Gary

 

[aart]

Other than what @EggWalrus suggested,
and note the 'might' and 'sometimes' accurately added to that advice,
there's really nothing you can do but wait and hope.
It's purely hormonal, some birds have it and some never will.

 

[Little Jerry Seinfeld]

Oh, ill try that! It wont hurt anyway i always have too many soare eggs anyway too
Just now when I was doing the chickens i saw i might have a broody old english game mix, (im not sure with what shes mixed with, shes from a neighbors egg)
Shes a little bigger than my purebred old english games though. so if she keeps on being broody ill try to use her to hatch my quail. Ill try to leave her alone but shes hogging that pens favorite egg box...
My neighbor says her old english games arent too good for staying broody long enough to hatch chicks, is that true?

 

[chuckachucka]

The only things you can do are to make sitting seem as tempting to the chickens as possible. First make sure you have enough nest boxes because if a hen tries to sit longer in there and keeps getting shoved out by another hen she will be disturbed. Also make sure the nest boxes are as comfortable as possible with good bedding material. Then add some dummy eggs to leave there so the chickens see a full nest. After that consider the condition of the chickens because they need to be healthy.

I think broodiness is more common in the spring and summer months but this might be presumption on my part?

 

[Little Jerry Seinfeld]

The only things you can do are to make sitting seem as tempting to the chickens as possible. First make sure you have enough nest boxes because if a hen tries to sit longer in there and keeps getting shoved out by another hen she will be disturbed. Also make sure the nest boxes are as comfortable as possible with good bedding material. Then add some dummy eggs to leave there so the chickens see a full nest. After that consider the condition of the chickens because they need to be healthy.

I think broodiness is more common in the spring and summer months but this might be presumption on my part?

All my bantams are only 6 to 7 months old and very healthy, i only got back into bantams this year, i definitely need to put in extra nest boxes i think, thanks for the good info

 

[EggWalrus]

Oh, ill try that! It wont hurt anyway i always have too many soare eggs anyway too
Just now when I was doing the chickens i saw i might have a broody old english game mix, (im not sure with what shes mixed with, shes from a neighbors egg)
Shes a little bigger than my purebred old english games though. so if she keeps on being broody ill try to use her to hatch my quail. Ill try to leave her alone but shes hogging that pens favorite egg box...
My neighbor says her old english games arent too good for staying broody long enough to hatch chicks, is that true?

My Game Birds stay broody year round nearly. Soon as they lay a dozen or so, they start sitting, then raise the babies for about 6-8 weeks. Then rinse and repeat. winter, summer, fall, and spring. It doesn't get cold enough to stop their reproductive urges down here, at least not very often.

 

[Little Jerry Seinfeld]

My Game Birds stay broody year round nearly. Soon as they lay a dozen or so, they start sitting, then raise the babies for about 6-8 weeks. Then rinse and repeat. winter, summer, fall, and spring. It doesn't get cold enough to stop their reproductive urges down here, at least not very often.

Wowser!