My hens won't sit on their eggs What do I do

[caw009]

I have 10 hens. I put a disposable cat litter box on the floor because my hens boxes are up way to high and the baby chicks will fall and break their necks. I placed the box on the floor with the eggs in it. The hens are kicking the eggs out of the box and not sitting on them. What am I doing wrong? It is summer time and it is hot I thought that was the best time to lay eggs and for them to hatch them. I need someone suggestions or help to figure out how to get them to sit and hatch their own eggs. The hens are about 8 months old and I didn't know if they were to young or what?

 

[satay]

There is nothing you can do to make a hen go broody. She will wait til she is ready then you will notice that she will not leave the nest box. That means she is ready to sit on the eggs. Not all breeds of chickens go broody but most do. How many roosters do you have to hens? Are they large chickens or bantams?

 

[caw009]

What do you do when she kicks the eggs out of the box? Do I just leave the box there and see if she lays her own eggs in it? If you touch the eggs will the chickens still sit on them?

 

[BarefootMom]

yes they will sit on eggs you touch BUT ONLY IF they are ready to be broody.

I have had chickens for over a year and my first broodies were this Spring.

It really is up to the chicken, you cannot force nature.

what kind of chickens do you have? Some may never go broody, it depends on the breeds.

 

[caw009]

I have 10 hens to 1 rooster. They are barred rock chickens.

 

[justtoni44]

Just pick the eggs up as usual.If you want to leave something in the nest, you can use a golf ball or fake egg.
As the previous peson wrote,there is nothing you can do to make them want to hatch chicks.
That is a mother nature thing. If do get one that goes broody, you will not have to wonder about it.
They will fluff up and growl or peck you if you try to move them.
Good Luck

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