letting a hen go broody

[chickenmama109]

hi

i have a flock of 12 11 hens and 1 rooster 7 hens are laying they are 5 to 7 months old
i want to let one go broody but i dont want the others to mess or peck the eggs and dont want them to hurt the chicks what do i do and how do i get them to go broody



thanks to all help

 

[Fanci Feathers Marans]

You can't make a hen go broody, but you can help her along. Get a couple dummy eggs, or sacrifice some real eggs (just be ure to mark them!) and leave them in the nest for a week.

If one wants to brood, you will know it.

 

[MillersFarm]

First of all you cant make a hen broody, Second it really depends on the breed and where you got it. If you got this chicken online it'll most likely never go broody though, I had gotten 5 JG (Jersey Giants) From a online hatchery and three of them went broody the second laying year (Which is the best year for chickens to go broody) And if you do have a broody i would separate her from the flock and keep her in a crate. Maybe in a shed or a garage thats safe from predators.

 

[MillersFarm]

You can't make a hen go broody, but you can help her along. Get a couple dummy eggs, or sacrifice some real eggs (just be ure to mark them!) and leave them in the nest for a week.

If one wants to brood, you will know it.

You beat me to it! But yes you can encourage a hen to go broody by giving her a nice dark-ish place to brood. And maybe add some herbs (Like lavender) To help calm your bird.

 

[Top Rooster]

They most likely won't go broody this year, but next spring if you have breeds that tend to go broody. What breeds do you have? You could separate her while she nests and if she is higher on the pecking order she will do fine with other chickens with her chicks, but if she's at the bottom it's best to keep her separated while she raises the chicks. You can encourage them to go broody by leaving the eggs in the nest for three days or so.

 

[chickenmama109]

i got all my birds from tsc
i have rhode island reds
barred rock
white leghorn
not sure what to are
what do i do after i put fake eggs in and the hen gos brood what do i do

 

[MillersFarm]

Another option is buying a broody hen, sometimes people get chickens that go broody all the time and dont want them any more...

 

[Top Rooster]

Well those breeds don't go broody often I recommend getting Buff Orphingtons. But if one was too you'd put fertilized eggs under her.

 

[chickenmama109]

if i put fake eggs will she make her own fertil eggs on her own or do i have to put them there

 

[MillersFarm]

if i put fake eggs will she make her own fertil eggs on her own or do i have to put them there

You need a rooster if you want fertile eggs..
then after that i'd put fertile eggs under. If she is broody she wouldn't lay eggs pf her own