How to Get a Hen to Set a Nest

If you've heard the expression, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink it," then you have some idea of how hard it is to make a hen set a nest (keep her eggs warm until they hatch into baby chicks). Of course, you can make the conditions ideal, but they won't be the actual cause of her setting a nest. Selecting a breed of hen that has strong mothering instincts, and having a dry and protected area to set the eggs will increase the chances of success.

Things You'll Need

  • A setting hen
  • A lined cage
  • Fertile eggs
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Instructions

    • 1

      Select a breed of chickens known for their protective, mothering instincts. Bantams are a good example (there are many others--usually less common breeds because instincts have been bred out of most modern laying hens).

    • 2

      Watch the flock of chickens for signs of broodiness, when one or more will begin to sit on a nest and not want to rise. Other signs can include puffing up and making growling sounds at your approach.

    • 3

      Once this behavior begins, move the chicken to an individual cage to set the eggs (fertilized by the resident rooster, or fertilized eggs brought in by you) Be sure to bring her food and water once a day. Keeping the brooding chicken separate will help to avoid the problem of other chickens sitting on her eggs who are not brooding, and the mother hen being displaced.