When do I know if hen will go broody?

[CrzyChicLady]

I have a Sexlink hen who has been laying and will occationally sit. For the past 4 days I've left the eggs in the milk crate to see if she will go broody. Yesterday there were 8 eggs and still 8 eggs this morning. When will I know if she will go broody?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Some sex links will go broody, but they are not usually known to go broody a lot. Most sex links never go broody.

You cannot make a hen go broody. When the hormones kick in, she will go broody. Until then, she willl not. Some people come up with ways that they say will make a hen go broody, some of them really bizarre. Some of them may help a hen that is thinking about going broody kick over the edge, but I really think the hormones have to be acting up a ittle before any of them have much chance. I don't think most of them help anyway, but we are dealing with living animals so it is hard to say anything for sure.

It is not that unusual for a hen to act a little broody but not be serious about it. I've had several hens get defensive in a nest, fluff up and walk around with a bad attitude, stay on the nest a lot, and give off a lot of signs that she is broody, but she never fully commits. If I have a hen spend two consecutive nights on the nest instead of roosting in her normal spot, I give her eggs to hatch. Until she spends those two consecutive nights, I assume she is just pretending and is not serious.

 

[CrzyChicLady]

Thanks. So I will just wait and see.

 

[RioLindoAz]

Quote:
You won't know when she goes broody. That is, until she actually does. There is a chance she will when it starts heating up a bit.
You're on the right track, though. If you keep a few [marked] eggs in the nest, she'll be more convinced to set.

 

[CrzyChicLady]

Quote:
You won't know when she goes broody. That is, until she actually does. There is a chance she will when it starts heating up a bit.
You're on the right track, though. If you keep a few [marked] eggs in the nest, she'll be more convinced to set.

"Marked"?? Do you mean I should write on them?

 

[Judy]

Quote:
You won't know when she goes broody. That is, until she actually does. There is a chance she will when it starts heating up a bit.
You're on the right track, though. If you keep a few [marked] eggs in the nest, she'll be more convinced to set.

"Marked"?? Do you mean I should write on them?

If she's in the coop with the others, definitely. She will steal eggs, others will climb on top of her and lay, all sorts of stuff. You want to know which ones you've chosen to hatch, or simply which ones you're sacrificing to find out if she's really broody.

Sharpies work great.

 

[CrzyChicLady]

I have a dozen eggs in the crate and no broody hen.

Is it time to give up?