broody hen

[red]

how long will a broody hen stay broody? someone has offered us some fertilised eggs, but we cant pick them up until next week.. will she have gone off the boil by then?

[Marc]

Probably not, but you can never tell. Some of them will stay broody for weeks and others may go off in a couple of days. But you'll probably be ok, good luck

[chookwoman]

You could just leave an egg under her to keep her broody until she gets the real ones. Our (late ) hen who used to go broody regularly would stay broody for weeks at a time.

[Thurston Garden]

I would agree that leaving some eggs under her should make her sit tight. Once you get the fertile eggs, leave them somewhere warmish for a day. I would make a pencil mark on them and slip them under her at the grey darkening one night (elbow length heavy duty rubber gloves are recommended for this part!). If she sits tight then try and get the dud eggs off her but depending on numbers, it might be best to leave them.

Apparently broodies like odd numbers under them? Good luck!

[ina]

I knew one hen (long time ago, in France) who'd sit for weeks, whatever was under her... In fact she was sitting on nothing, as she didn't even lay eggs! Some are determined, and nothing you do will keep them from their "job".

[red]

ours has been sitting on nothing for about a week now, and she has stopped laying.. cos you know.. she is hatching those non existant eggs

[chookwoman]

Yeh, when they go broody they won't lay. They can be a bit useless, but Funky was a pet. She'd sit on nothing for weeks too. I do miss her though......

[red]

well we shall try and get these fert. eggs under her next week and see how we get on. more hens.. some for the pot.. oh.. theres me counting me chickens before they are hatched....