The Poultry Health & Hatching Forum

incubating eggs with a broody hen

Hi all. So I want to get some hatching eggs and try to get one of my Buff Orpingtons to set. Has anyone done this before and what advice can ye give me to get a hen to go broody.

linmad
Monday, March 29th, 2021

You could place a few rubber eggs in a small separate broody coop and see what happens but at the end of the day they and nature decide if they go broody or not.
So the simple answer is no you can not get a hen to go broody, they either do or they don't.

nama-man
Monday, March 29th, 2021

thank you. I'll give it a go.

linmad
Monday, March 29th, 2021

Get yourself a little pekin hen,she'll hatch all summer long

Torsten Schulz
Tuesday, March 30th, 2021

What about the bucket method nama-man.
You would probably be better off with a few x bred silkies or something along that line for hatching.

paddycrawford
Tuesday, March 30th, 2021

You, d probably be arrested these days paddy for using the bucket, different times!

nama-man
Wednesday, March 31st, 2021

Some one on here used to swear by it think it was pearl.

paddycrawford
Wednesday, March 31st, 2021

Ha, ha, not Pearl paddy.
I think it was your preferred method and you got lambasted over it. 🤔

nama-man
Thursday, April 1st, 2021

Right. Anyone in or near Kerry that has Pekin hens?

linmad
Thursday, April 1st, 2021

No not me some of mine get it hard to lay five eggs with out setting.
A Pekin bantam wont cover many large fowl eggs just take that into account.

paddycrawford
Thursday, April 1st, 2021

Yes,true,a pekin will cover a small amount of regular sized hens eggs but I have hatched hens,pheasant and quail with them
I had a single Brahma hen and she went broody. I think once they have the right environment,a few quiet nests to choose from then most hens will get broody, even the brown hybrids

Torsten Schulz
Thursday, April 1st, 2021

I'd say if you give it a bit more time and the weather warms a bit more your buff Orpington will sit. The best mother hen we ever had was a buff Orpington.

Joseph lawler
Thursday, April 1st, 2021

thanks Joseph. That was the whole reason I went with the BO. I'll be a bit more patient.

linmad
Friday, April 2nd, 2021

Our BOs that we had in the US sat fairly well for us. Definitely don't give up I think they will sit for you.

craigmartin
Friday, April 2nd, 2021

One just went broody yesterday and is sitting on 9 eggs! Patience is the key.

linmad
Monday, April 19th, 2021