Need help with confusing sapphire gems😩

[justaboy]

Hello BYC, this is my first post after being on byc for a couple years. I have 2 sapphire gems who have both gone broody twice this year and now that I actually want them to, they won’t! I’ve put the ceramic eggs into a nesting box and put curtains over it and everything, yet nothing has happened over the last few days. I also have a gold laced Wyandotte but she’s never gone broody. I also have a naked neck, leghorn, BCM, and a Rhode Island Red, so I don’t have many “Broody breeds” but I’m trying to get some Orpingtons. Help!

 

[FrostRanger]

Whether they go broody or not is up to them. Given it's fall and heading into winter it's not that likely they will. Ceramic eggs are more to get hens to lay in a particular spot rather than get them to go broody. I keep a pair of ceramic eggs in the nest box year round. I don't get more broodies than I otherwise would even with a buff orpington (over the last 2 years I've had 2 hens out of 7 go broody). Curtains are also mainly to stop egg eating, they don't impact broodiness at all. You're either just going to have to wait for someone to go broody or you're going to have to incubate some eggs yourself

 

[justaboy]

Ok, thanks for the help!

 

[Mrs. K]

I had Mrs. Feathers, a proven broody hen, who had gone broody multiple times for me, once in October.

I had read that there was nothing to it to make a hen go broody, so I used Mrs. Feathers. You create a nest, put in false eggs, in a small crate. Add the hen, and in a few days - she will be broody.

Well, she was NOT. I let her out, and about 5 weeks later, she went broody.

IMO - it is up to the chicken Gods.

I have also tried a pile of eggs in a nest. Sometimes that will flip the switch. I will do that if I think I have a bird thinking about going broody.

Mrs K

 

[justaboy]

I had Mrs. Feathers, a proven broody hen, who had gone broody multiple times for me, once in October.

I had read that there was nothing to it to make a hen go broody, so I used Mrs. Feathers. You create a nest, put in false eggs, in a small crate. Add the hen, and in a few days - she will be broody.

Well, she was NOT. I let her out, and about 5 weeks later, she went broody.

IMO - it is up to the chicken Gods.

I have also tried a pile of eggs in a nest. Sometimes that will flip the switch. I will do that if I think I have a bird thinking about going broody.

Mrs K

Thank y’all so much for the help! It’s way easier to find answers when you ask questions instead of searching‍

 

[justaboy]

Y’ALL, my sapphy, aptly named little grey, is kind of manipulating eggs in the nesting box. She’s already laid today so it’s not like she’s moving them to lay her egg in the clutch, she’s pulling the eggs under her as of RIGHT NOW. Is this a good sign? Edit: she’s the one in my profile picture!

 

[FrostRanger]

Y’ALL, my sapphy, aptly named little grey, is kind of manipulating eggs in the nesting box. She’s already laid today so it’s not like she’s moving them to lay her egg in the clutch, she’s pulling the eggs under her as of RIGHT NOW. Is this a good sign? Edit: she’s the one in my profile picture!

Maybe? But it could also be nothing. Still, keep an eye on her in the coming weeks

 

[justaboy]

Thanks!

 

[McChooky]

I broke my Sapphire hen when she was less than a year old and she didn't go again for 2 years.I ordered chicks in case none of my hens went broody this year but canceled it because I really wanted my flock to raise the chicks.Lo and behold my Sapphire hen went broody (the following day!)Shes the only hen who's gone broody in 5 years

 

[justaboy]

Now she’s on and off of the nest? She goes on for a sec,

I broke my Sapphire hen when she was less than a year old and she didn't go again for 2 years.I ordered chicks in case none of my hens went broody this year but canceled it because I really wanted my flock to raise the chicks.Lo and behold my Sapphire hen went broody (the following day!)Shes the only hen who's gone broody in 5 years

Yay!!!