Broody Hen advice please!

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karenjj

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Hi I have a broody hen (not sure this is the right place to post this but not sure where else to!) She has been sitting on her and my other hens eggs for approx. 10days. We have a cockeral so are assuming they're fertilized but not sure. She hasn't come off the eggs as far as I'm aware except today! She is wandering around the garden as normal and has been for about 2 hours. Does this mean the eggs will die, assuming they are fertilized? Should I try to put her back on them or is it too late?

Thanks
 
Hi no should be ok. Broody hens do leave the nest to feed and then return. Young hens at point of lay tend to lay their first batch of 10 to 12 eggs and then they sit on this clutch. one of mine has just done this and hey presto I know have 12 chicks 20 days later :)
 
Should be fine, I have dozens of broodies and they often leave the nest, one even went in the hen house all night and she hatched 15/15!! Make sure Mr Fox cant get to her though.
 
we had 4 hens that were sitting on 2 duck eggs (don't ask!:rolleyes:) and we were having to make sure they all got off occasionally to eat, drink and "empty" themselves! Usually a couple of hours at a time is ok.

hope you get chicks, they are so fun to have around!
 
if she's off them 2 hours the eggs probably won't develop, i think the max they can leave them for is 15/20 mins or else the eggs temperature drops and the chicks wont develop.
 
I lift my broody hens off their nests every day to make sure that they eat, drink and poop. They often get in a quick dust bath and nibble of fresh grass in the garden before heading back to their nests. I leave small bowls of food and water within reach of them.

Is she now separate from the other hens? If not, she might be stealing their eggs and you will end up with too many eggs of different ages under her. When the first first chick hatches, she will continue to sit on her eggs for only another 1 - 2 days, so if some of the eggs are a week younger than the rest, they will only be part incubated and will die. Also, the other hens might bother her (my broody hens are impossible to bother and will even tolerate other hens sitting on top of them to lay their eggs!) or even harm the chicks when they arrive.

Good luck with her - it is great fun having chicks around and watching how she raises them.
 
They will be fine!
We once accidently turned our incubator off overnight, before we realised the following morning and turned it back on. Not a single egg failed to hatch out that clutch!
 
Ihave a bantam in the garden who hatched a mallard! Its about the same size now as mum.

I found the egg and it was stone cold so decided to pop it under broody and hey presto duckling.

You will end up with a load of cockerels too if they hatch etc But they will be fine.Agree that she will collect any eggs under her that get laid by the other hens, so they could be all different ages etc

good luck
 
20 mins is max i thought .... But then again when i have a broody i shut her away with food and water and leave her

good luck though

a good chicken forum to look at is one called backyard that might help you out too
 
Try Omlet forum they are excellent for advice too. People post fertilised eggs on ebay etc I am thinking of doing this next year to get some more hens.
 
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