This might be the first time this question has been asked... UPDATE =D

[92caddy]

You can make a hen go broody, I have done it many of times.....

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=124941

 

[Hooterville]

I have 8 out of 35 birds now broody. Of course they decided to do this AFTER I bought 2 more incubators!

All of these but 1 are hatchery birds--2 partridge cochins, 2 buff orps, 1 cuckoo marans, 1 jersey giant, 1 barred rock and 1 little mixed, 1 eyed banty girl. Except for the banty, all of these birds are less than 1 year old.

They seem to be dedicated sitters, however, they do keep switching nests. I've got all of the eggs marked and take out the new ones each day. I just don't know what to do with all of these broodies!

I don't really have another coop to put them in. I'm just crossing my fingers now and hoping for the best.

 

[rebecca10782]

Well, I guess my prayers were answered! Just in the last couple of days, two of our girls have gone broody. I think it was due to the new wood eggs that we put into the nests. So they are sitting on them and the real eggs. I politely picked them up yesterday and took the real eggs out since they are not fertile. One had collected eight real eggs along with a few wood ones! They definitely don't like me in there, but I try to be as polite as possible and give them a nice head scratch and lots of treats in exchange. As I would take the eggs, I would put another wood egg in front of them. It is soooo cute how they use their beaks to tuck as far under there bellies as they can

Luckily they aren't vicious either. One did give my mom a warning peck, but it was very very gentle

So, I am off to order some serama eggs

I can't wait to see itty bitty little babies hatch out

 

[emvickrey]

Quote:
I have a gourd that is the size of a turkey egg that I use. They really don't need stimulated but I have it in there to keep them in the nests. They just started laying on the floor. I don't know why but i'll figure it out. I plan to plant some and let them dry out and have them available if anybody wants them. I got 2 and dried them both out but only took seeds from one so I could get some more. I will offer them when I have any available. They work very well as eggs. They wont rot at least for a while as long as kept dry. They do like the bird house gourds.

 

[DANNY]

Quote:
That is a good question.

Having a rooster with them has nothing to do with going broody. There are many ways of using broody hens from a single one to a successful group. You can manipulate them in all kind of ways by getting them to lay in a particular spot to moving them all over the barn.

 

[hungryhensfarm]

I have three banty hens that until last week had been seperated from my banty roo because they were too small at first. When they started laying all three went broody and there was no way for any of their eggs to be fertile. Since I moved them in with the roo none of them has laid a single egg.

Maybe they will soon.

 

[dancingbear]

When a hen gets broody, it doesn't matter if there are eggs in the nest or not. They'll act like they have eggs, and sit tight. Don't waste your perfectly good eggs, trying to induce broodiness. they brood or not, depending on the hormones and breeding of that particular hen.

Have you read up on the problems that can occur with shipped eggs? You'd be much better off trying to find some local eggs to hatch. Shipped eggs often have ruptured air cells, which makes them harder to hatch. The general consensus seems to be they they have a better chance of hatching either in and auto-turner with cups that allow the egg to sit upright (big end up) and near upright, a good deal of the time, or t hatch in carton bottoms so they can be gently tilted side to side, propping on end of the carton, then the other, etc. Eggs to hatch under a hen need intact, normal air cells, usually, (there's always somebody who managed it despite the odds) to have a good chance to hatch.

But sometimes the shipped eggs come through intact, air cells and all, in which case you could get a great hatch under your hen. Let them rest, big end up, at room temp, about 24 hrs. before you put them under her. Candle first, for cracks. Mini-cracks that may not show under normal light will glow when candled.