Trying to get a hen to go Broody

[nicolette]

I have 3 new Hampshire red hen & i set out 2 next that have plastic eggs. I want to get more chicks but I'm not having any luck getting her to became Broody. They've been out there since middle of feb til now & having no luck. So i get them anyways will be are to edvetually put them with my already grown hens?

 

[bobbi-j]

I have 3 new Hampshire red hen & i set out 2 next that have plastic eggs. I want to get more chicks but I'm not having any luck getting her to became Broody. They've been out there since middle of feb til now & having no luck. So i get them anyways will be are to edvetually put them with my already grown hens?

Not all hens will go broody. Some breeds are more prone to it than others, but I don't think your NHRs are among them. I believe they are bred more for egg production than broodiness. Putting eggs in a nest will not cause broodiness. That is a hormonal thing that happens (it seems) randomly. I'm sure it's not random, but it sure seems like it sometimes. If you want to hatch chicks on your schedule, you're far better off getting an incubator. (You do have a rooster, or source for fertilized eggs?)

I am not sure what you are trying to ask in the second part of your post. Are you wondering if you get chicks if you can eventually put them in with the older ones? The answer would be potentially yes. There are some factors there that you need to consider. Age of the younger ones when you try to integrate them would be one. Coop and run space would be another. A smooth integration can sometimes require a lot more room than you think they need.