Is it too late to put eggs under my broody hen?

[turtleshell]

Hi all. My hen has been broody now for about 2&1/2 weeks. Is it still ok to put fertile eggs under her?? Thanks.

 

[KellyHM]

Yes, most will sit until the eggs hatch. Just be aware that if she's a first time momma she may not sit the whole time.

 

[Bantimna]

Yes you can. Is the hen a "first-timer" or has she hatched before?

 

[turtleshell]

Quote:
I'm not 100% sure, I bought her at 7mths, she is now nearly 8 mths.
She's lucky to leave her nest once a day though and she is very protective. She lets me take her eggs from her (they are not fertile, I have to buy fertile eggs) but gets the hackles up and lets she know she's not real happy about it.

 

[Kewlhanded]

My first broody sat for a couple weeks until I gave her eggs. Now I have 10 baby chicks, from 2 different broodies... The nice thing is they do most the work, one I helped a couple times, the other was awesome, did nothing but water, feed, and take her off the nest once or twice a day for the poop bomb.

 

[Carol.in.WV]

When my black Japanese bantam went broody I found her on a shelf in an outbuilding with a few eggs under her, not all hers if any. I moved her a couple of times finally ending up in the living room in a rubbermaid tub with a pop hole cut in the end. Somewhere along the first week or so I added eggs which turned out to be a mistake. The first one hatched on 12/23, then the second on 12/24 then 3 more on 12/25. I was able to keep her on the nest for another day or 2 then she just would not sit on the rest of the eggs. She has turned out to be an excellent mother except for trying to encourage the babies to fly too high. One had a problem with its feet and found it dead one morning when a few days old. The others are doing very well.

I learned from that experience and now have a broody bantam Cochin who lost most of the eggs under her in the hen house. I suspect that the others ate them when she go off for her potty break, but maybe she did it. I moved her into the house in an unheated bedroom where she is not bothered and gave her about 7 or 8 fertile standard eggs, plus her original. She tossed out all but 4 or 5 and now only gets off every other day to eat and poop.

When I was pretty sure my silkie girl would lay fertile eggs I left them in the nest and when she had 5 she started sitting, however when she comes out each morning she seems to forget what she is supposed to do and fools around until I get too nervous and put her back in and close her up.

I am saving up some eggs for the next one that goes broody but my DH wants me to get rid of all chickens. Maybe I better go make him some hard-boiled eggs

So, is your broody hen sitting on eggs or on nothing?

 

[RAWR]

mhm
as long as shes broody, she be ok

 

[turtleshell]

Carol.in.WV :

When my black Japanese bantam went broody I found her on a shelf in an outbuilding with a few eggs under her, not all hers if any. I moved her a couple of times finally ending up in the living room in a rubbermaid tub with a pop hole cut in the end. Somewhere along the first week or so I added eggs which turned out to be a mistake. The first one hatched on 12/23, then the second on 12/24 then 3 more on 12/25. I was able to keep her on the nest for another day or 2 then she just would not sit on the rest of the eggs. She has turned out to be an excellent mother except for trying to encourage the babies to fly too high. One had a problem with its feet and found it dead one morning when a few days old. The others are doing very well.

I learned from that experience and now have a broody bantam Cochin who lost most of the eggs under her in the hen house. I suspect that the others ate them when she go off for her potty break, but maybe she did it. I moved her into the house in an unheated bedroom where she is not bothered and gave her about 7 or 8 fertile standard eggs, plus her original. She tossed out all but 4 or 5 and now only gets off every other day to eat and poop.

When I was pretty sure my silkie girl would lay fertile eggs I left them in the nest and when she had 5 she started sitting, however when she comes out each morning she seems to forget what she is supposed to do and fools around until I get too nervous and put her back in and close her up.

I am saving up some eggs for the next one that goes broody but my DH wants me to get rid of all chickens. Maybe I better go make him some hard-boiled eggs

So, is your broody hen sitting on eggs or on nothing?

At the moment she is sitting only on fake eggs. She tries to sit on her own and moves any that the other hens lay so she can sit on them too but I have been removing them because they arn't fertile. I am getting some fertile eggs to put under her, which should make her happy. I am wondering though if I should separate her as she is in a small pen which is crowded at night when they all go to bed. My husband is in the process of building a larger pen. Do you think the other chickens will bother her or break her eggs at night when they are all in there. Often I will check on them at night and she will have one or two others in her nesting box with her. They don't seem to worry about any eggs she is sitting on before I remove them.

Thanks.​

 

[turtleshell]

What are Rubbermaid Tubs? I am not familiar with that here in OZ. I see them referred to alot.

 

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