making a hen go broody

[neo71665]

Here's just a theory: The sound of chicks getting a hen to want to brood. Just a theory though.

Also, something to think about... Is it it's hormones, if there's something that you can give your hen to increase those?

An incubator is cheap if you need baby chicks that badly. By the time you pay some scientist to prove it and then the hormone therapy for a bird I could have hatched out a few dozen flocks.

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

An incubator is cheap if you need baby chicks that badly. By the time you pay some scientist to prove it and then the hormone therapy for a bird I could have hatched out a few dozen flocks.

Yeah... That's true. It was just a thought.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I seem to start getting broodies whenI firget to grab eggs for a few days and they make a nice pile. Maybe you could add a fake or two each day to a specific nest to make your own clutch?

 

[SueT]

I will be interested in following your experiment! Do your candidates go broody several times a year, or just once a year? I have a compulsive broody that goes broody nearly every month in warm weather. If i let her raise chicks, she’ll go broody within a month after they are weaned. Yet this past summer, when she was acting good and broody, I segregated her from the flock in this cute little coop (with its own run) that I thought would be perfect for raising chicks, and after a few days she gave up on the eggs! She’s a Sebright. Now going on 5 years old, maybe her hormones ran out, or maybe separating her from the flock did it. I didn’t let her try again last year, sent her to broody jail each subsequent time.

 

[nchls school]

A hen can not be forced to go broody; it just won't work. And yes, I tried it a number of times, years ago. Slowly adding a dummy egg after collecting fresh eggs will stimulate the hormones for nesting. Usually, when there's around a dozen the hen will go broody. If the flock is small just stop taking the eggs from a nest; if more than two eggs are deposited in a day leave just one fresh egg so that the nest fills slowly. This has always worked for me with hens that have the broody instinct.

 

[SpicyDisaster]

Here's just a theory: The sound of chicks getting a hen to want to brood. Just a theory though.

We had a hen go broody last fall and let her have some eggs. Only one successfully made it but the sound of that chick sent at least two of our girls into broodiness. It was fascinating to watch their fascination with the chick noises and then try to feed the chick and then go sit on a nest

 

[centrarchid]

Now, I have done some looking, but most of the posts are about making a hen or wishing a hen would go broody that has never gone broody before. That is not my case.

I am basically in a do over mode, I have 5 hens, 3 of which went broody for me last summer, but of course in July and August - when I could not get either the chicks I wanted or a good source of fertilized eggs. I currently have a chicks on order for late March or first of April. What I would like, is for two hens to be setting when those chicks arrive. If I don't, I can easily brood them myself, if this doesn't work.

I think I read a post here where the person said, with a known broody hen, they could get them broody in a few days, but I will be danged if I can find it. I wish I had pinned it or copied it. I think it went like this:

• Take a crate, and a clutch of eggs (fake) and a nest, and add the hen that has been broody before.
• Lock her in there, letting her out once a day
• within a few days - she is suppose to be broody

I won't lose anything to try it. And if it doesn't work, I can still raise the chicks.

Do any of you remember this post - or where it is? Or tried something similar. I know they will go broody, and they were good mothers. I would just like to try it on my time frame.

Any advice?

Mrs K

That may be part of how my roosters go broody, at least part of process where he comes into extended close contact with brood (chicks).

 

[Perris]

Now, I have done some looking, but most of the posts are about making a hen or wishing a hen would go broody that has never gone broody before. That is not my case.

I am basically in a do over mode, I have 5 hens, 3 of which went broody for me last summer, but of course in July and August - when I could not get either the chicks I wanted or a good source of fertilized eggs. I currently have a chicks on order for late March or first of April. What I would like, is for two hens to be setting when those chicks arrive. If I don't, I can easily brood them myself, if this doesn't work.

I think I read a post here where the person said, with a known broody hen, they could get them broody in a few days, but I will be danged if I can find it. I wish I had pinned it or copied it. I think it went like this:

• Take a crate, and a clutch of eggs (fake) and a nest, and add the hen that has been broody before.
• Lock her in there, letting her out once a day
• within a few days - she is suppose to be broody

I won't lose anything to try it. And if it doesn't work, I can still raise the chicks.

Do any of you remember this post - or where it is? Or tried something similar. I know they will go broody, and they were good mothers. I would just like to try it on my time frame.

Any advice?

Mrs K

was it this (and book linked in the following post)? https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ong-and-informational-thread.457488/page-2913 post #29125

 

[Lizzy733]

If you want a regular broody, silkies are amazing and you can plan around them. Mine has a routine - she comes into lay.. lays around 12-14 eggs, then goes broody. She broods for a generous 5 weeks, giving ample time to get eggs and get them under her.

She does take a big haitus between brooding, usually around a month off to recoup. She will generally get out two hatches in a spring\summer cycle, but does brood in winter.

I've added a few more to my flock to supplement my incubator (actually gets too hot to rely on it at the moment).

 

[Mrs. K]

@ Perris - Yes, I knew I had read it somewhere. Thank you. I bookmarked that book this time.

I am going to try it.

Mrs K