Is this something that would work? Or just some made up stuff?

[Clwalls83]

A very hit or miss thing. Something I would give a swing at, if there are no other options.
Having past experience as a kid, successfully raising a newly hatched chick, in a nest made of a box, lined with towel, using a hot water bottle to keep the little guy warm, I fail to see how a lack of options could easily be a thing.

Now, if you are keen on the chance to have chicks, you could purchase some fertile eggs ASAP when she goes broody and slip them in the nest with her. Much better chance of success.

Ok, I will definitely keep that idea in mind. thank you.

 

[Mrs. K]

I am surprised at many of the responses on this post, and while I do agree with Ridgerunner, that they are animals and can act unexpectedly. I have never had a failure. I do tend to let the hen be broody close to the three weeks - give or take a few days.

It is an easy way to add fresh genetics to the flock. I don't worry about a healthy hen going broody. Contrary to the articles belief, is that a healthy hen can survive a broody period without a loss of health. It is a natural part of life.

Mrs K

 

[Ridgerunner]

I have never had a failure. I do tend to let the hen be broody close to the three weeks - give or take a few days.

I have, with a hen that had been broody a little more than three weeks plus another that killed a couple of the chicks she hatched, not chicks I tried to give her. But I agree, it usually works.

Contrary to the articles belief, is that a healthy hen can survive a broody period without a loss of health. It is a natural part of life.

Let's look at how this works. Before they even start to lay a pullet or hen stores up excess fat. I've butchered enough pullets, cockerels, hens, and roosters to see that the difference is obvious. The girls have a lot more fat than the boys. That fat is there for the hen to mostly live off of when she goes broody. The hen will occasionally come off to poop and while she is off she will usually eat and drink, but that stored fat is what she mostly lives off of. Since she is using that fat she loses weight. Some people see the hen losing weight and think something is wrong. There is nothing wrong, she is simply using that fat for the purpose it was put there, so she can stay on the nest and take care of the eggs. Once the eggs hatch she starts eating regularly and regains the weight (and fat) before she starts laying again.