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Can your make a hen 'go broody'
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Posted by claraserena WI (My Page) on Thu, Feb 23, 06 at 13:58
We have 9 hens or I guess they are technically pullets until age 1 (6 of ours will be one in May). They are Red Star whatever--wonderful layers and high energy girls. But I beleive theirs is a breed that has had the broodiness bred out of it. We also have 2 Jumbo cornish rock females and a black Australorpe that will be one in July.
I would love for at least one these chickens to get interested in being a mother. Can that be done? Most days we get 2 eggs in one of the laying boxes, and 5-6 under the nesting boxes on the floor. The chickens take no notice of me removing their eggs. Right after laying, some of them will sit for awhile and look sort of "broody" but that doesn't last. Would it help to just leave the eggs on the floor for a couple of days? We wouldn't want chicks until the weather is warmer.
Just wondered if any one has heard anything about making a hen "go broody." It's sad to think that breeding has taken away something so fundamental, |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Can your make a hen 'go broody'
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The sex links and Rock xs are hybrids , not breeds and they are non broody, however, the Australorp(which is an black Orpington originally) may very well get broody. You can not force a non broody breed to get in the mood. Some few non broody breed individuals may become broody as the age(several years), not common.
I did have some Silkies, which I bred and selected for broodiness over several years, which seemed to be able to be made willing to set by putting several eggs beneath and resticting to a darkened prison for a couple days. It wasn't foolproof tho, they were just so broody they nearly always wanted to set, a very handy tool for setting eggs from my more desirable breeds. kind of a long response!! |
RE: Can your make a hen 'go broody'
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| What fancifowl said.... In addition to Silkies, cochins are another breed known for being good moms. I have several and all they seem to DO is go broody! *L* You can try leaving a couple of eggs in the favorite nest of the Australorp, just mark them with an 'X' so you can tell those eggs from fresh ones, you don't want to crack open an old egg for breakfast one morning. :) Broody hens usually prefer the dark 'hidey-hole' type of nest, their instincts let them know to choose this type for raising babies as it is more protected from predators. Good luck! Velvet ~:> |
RE: Can your make a hen 'go broody'
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| i've had the same experience with cochins that velvet has - they are a broody bunch! i have a white silkie *fi-fi* that is broody more than not. |
RE: Can you make a hen 'go broody'
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| Thank you Fancifowl and Velvet! I'm going to try leaving a couple of eggs where the Australorp lays. She's the one who started laying on the floor (under the nesting boxes)and the others followed her lead.Should I wait until she is a year old? |
RE: Can your make a hen 'go broody'
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| Another question: can you "switch eggs" from a broody hen's nest? Has anyone shuffled eggs from other hens into the nest of a broody hen, while maybe removing some of the broody hen's eggs (because you already have a kazillion of her offspring running around)? |
RE: Can your make a hen 'go broody'
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undercover -
yes! it's done all the time. |
RE: Can your make a hen 'go broody'
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| Thats how I do all my incubating. wait till the 1 goes broody then remove her eggs and set the saved eggs from whomever. If you mix the eggs you wont know the parents unless they are totally different breeds/varieties. |
RE: Can your make a hen 'go broody'
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| I let my broodies raise other hens' eggs all the time, they don't care at all, they just want those babies! *L* Just be prepared--if she is a first-time mom, you may need to take over if she abandons the nest midway through. It's a good idea to have an incubator on hand and a brooder box for after the chicks hatch. You never know how mama or the other birds will react to chicks, they may attack them. I've learned from past experience that I can't trust some of my hens not to go after new chicks, and mama can't be everywhere at once to protect them. :( Right now my partidge cochin hen and my blue silkie hens are both broody...I have some Polish eggs I may slip under them. *G* Velvet ~:> |
RE: Can your make a hen 'go broody'
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| I have a plastic 'nest egg' in each of my nest boxes because I also had the problem of hens laying just anywhere they happened to be standing when the spirit moved them. Something in their little brain says, "Ooh, an egg, think I'll put one there too!" Some hens are just better mothers than other hens. My buff orph is a beautiful hen and a terrible mother. And I have a little bitty plain jane brown hen that I'm not even sure what breed she is, but she steals chicks from the other hens and raises them as her own. She's my smallest girl, but she's fierce with the hens and loving with the chicks. She doesn't take any crap from anybody or the rooster either.
Seamommy |
RE: Can your make a hen 'go broody'
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| So you CAN leave your eggs in the nest to get a hen to go broody? Because I have looked at a few websites and they just say it is a waste of good eggs. Also Fancifowl, is it true you can lock them up somwhere in a dark place for a day or two and it will help the hen go broody? or was that somthing else you were talking anout? Nathan |
what are the best broody breeds
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| hi i have black rock , buff orp , 2 silkie bantums , 2 isa , 1 light susex in thats in one pen and a polish roster in there and in. a ark i hav 1 hen pekin and a rooster to i was wondering if any are good broodys and how to help them on there way :) |
what are the best broody breeds
| | |
| hi i have black rock , buff orp , 2 silkie bantums , 2 isa , 1 light susex in thats in one pen and a polish roster in there and in. a ark i hav 1 hen pekin and a rooster to i was wondering if any are good broodys and how to help them on there way :) |
what are the best broody breeds
| | |
| hi i have black rock , buff orp , 2 silkie bantums , 2 isa , 1 light susex in thats in one pen and a polish roster in there and in. a ark i hav 1 hen pekin and a rooster to i was wondering if any are good broodys and how to help them on there way :) |
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