Making hens broody

[Eric R]

I've got eggs in the incubator but would like one of my hens to raise the chicks. Trying to have one go broody. I've put 8-10 golf balls in each box about 5 days ago, kept them in the run so they're close to the eggs for 4 days now. Put curtains up today and cleaned the coop floor. I have 16 hens. 2 cochins, 3 ameraucanas, 1 cochin mix and 3 black australarps and the rest are non broody breeds. I've even played sounds of chicks on my phone for them. It's day 10 of incubation. Any other suggestions?

 

[sourland]

Good luck. They will go broody if and when their hormones tell them to do so. Some think that leaving eggs (or golf balls) will inspire them, but I am uncertain as to whether or not that is factual.

 

[Eric R]

I'm always so amazed and thankful at how quickly people respond on this site. Love it! Well hopefully one of my Australarps will be the mama. They are at the top of the pecking order and do not mess around. Would be great protectors of my maran chicks assuming they all hatch.

 

[Eric R]

FML. I saw a hen go into the coop to lay this morning and heard another hen growl at her from inside a. Box. Sounded like a broody hen so I was excited. Waited until 5pm when all have laid and to my surprise it was one of my welsummer hens. She growled at me when I grabbed the days eggs from under her too. Ive heard welsummer hens are not the best moms. Should I just hope for another hen to go broody or go ahead and give the eggs to her?

 

[chickens really]

If she wants to set then let her. All Hens can be good Mommas or terrible ones. Best wishes

 

[SueT]

I think you are lucky to have one that actually went broody when you needed it! Nice photo too! Keep us updated!

 

[Eric R]

Will do. Thanks for all the great advice!

 

[IamRainey]

Good for you!

I'm waiting for one of my Orpingtons or the Plymouth Rock who went broody last Spring when there weren't any fertile eggs to go broody on the eggs that are now fertile.

I'm just leaving clutches of 4 or 5 eggs in the nesting boxes. I've noticed that the hens keep using those boxes for laying when there's an empty one also available but no one has stayed to incubate the eggs.

 

[Shadrach]

I've got eggs in the incubator but would like one of my hens to raise the chicks. Trying to have one go broody. I've put 8-10 golf balls in each box about 5 days ago, kept them in the run so they're close to the eggs for 4 days now. Put curtains up today and cleaned the coop floor. I have 16 hens. 2 cochins, 3 ameraucanas, 1 cochin mix and 3 black australarps and the rest are non broody breeds. I've even played sounds of chicks on my phone for them. It's day 10 of incubation. Any other suggestions?

The best way to encourage a hen to go broody I've found is to let her accumulate a pile of eggs; eight seems to be the bare minimum here. Once she has say ten eggs, take a couple away. Believe it or not a hen knows exactly how many eggs she has. When you take a couple of eggs away it seems the hen realizes that her eggs are no longer undiscovered and safe. Ime this encourages them to sit on what they have left.
The method is far from foolproof but I've had it work enough time now to believe there is some merit in the logic and method.

PS, I don't believe golf balls will do the trick. The chickens here at least are not that stupid.

 

[Eric R]

Good for you!

I'm waiting for one of my Orpingtons or the Plymouth Rock who went broody last Spring when there weren't any fertile eggs to go broody on the eggs that are now fertile.

I'm just leaving clutches of 4 or 5 eggs in the nesting boxes. I've noticed that the hens keep using those boxes for laying when there's an empty one also available but no one has stayed to incubate the eggs.

I bought a box of 50 used golf balls for $15. Took all of 6-7 days for me to get this broody. I put about 10 eggs in each box.