is there a way to force a hen to go broody?

[shaggy]

lost one of my hens this weekend to one of my dogs

so me and my wife have decided to order a few more

the thing is that we do not want to keep the day old chicks in the house for 6-8 weeks. so we want to force a hen to go broody so she will raise them

also ... what would be a better choice for a broody hen .. Buff Orpington or RIR?

 

[Nava]

 

[FortWorthChicks]

put the brooder in the garage maybe?

 

[SPRING CREEK FARM]

If the 1 white Silkie you have is a hen, she would make the better choice! Especially if she were to already be setting on some other eggs for a few days before the chicks arrive...you could swap the eggs for the chicks at night and voila! she has babies!!!

 

[squeakyballs]

From everything I've read here, you can't *make* them go broody. It has to do with their hormones and they'll do it when they are ready. I read you can encourage it by giving them "fake eggs" ... either those plastic easter eggs weighted with pebbles, or (what I'm trying right now) golf balls.

I wish mine would go broody, too!

 

[squeakyballs]

Quote:
That's what I'm planning to try! How long should they sit on the fake eggs? I was going to let them do it for 2 weeks?

 

[SPRING CREEK FARM]

If your Silkie is willing, (and all of mine are quite willing) put a few fake eggs in a nest and see if she takes the reins from there. If so, if she sets on those eggs for about a week, that should be enough before you make the exchange. Chickens don't have a real concept of time and a week should be enough to have her convinced that the babies are hers.

My Silkies are only too happy to take over someone else's nest of eggs, abandoned or not, and hatch and raise up whatever hatches out. They have even hatched out some of my pea fowl eggs!

 

[squeakyballs]

Thank you SPRING CREEK FARM! That is really helpful! I had found tid-bits of information here and there, but nothing that complete! How many chicks can a silkie handle?

 

[gritsar]

Shaggy, it's not really necessary to have chicks in the house at all if you can prepare them a suitable place outside. Just saying.

 

[SPRING CREEK FARM]

Quote:
My Silkies have hatched out as many as 10 chicks at a time with no problems. I have had as many as 3 Silkie hens hatching out at the same time, and each hen takes care of and fiercely protects her own chicks. It is a beautiful thing to see!