Broody chicken sitting on unfertilized eggs.

[Lkf1960]

I have a broody chicken sitting on unfertilized eggs. I haven’t a rooster. I finally received my fertilized eggs in the mail after she has been sitting on the unfertilized eggs for 7 days. Should I put the fertilized eggs underneath her? I heard after 21 days she will stop sitting on the eggs. I did invest in an incubator also. What should I do?

 

[nuthatched]

She won't stop at 22 days but being broody is hard on hens and they shouldn’t be encouraged to sit longer than needed. Your shipped eggs have to be hatched in an incubator, they don't do well under a broody.
Candle for saddled or loose aircells, set but don't turn for 4-5 days to help the air cells stabilize.
Break you broody from sitting, so she doesn't waste her time.

 

[Lkf1960]

She won't stop at 22 days but being broody is hard on hens and they shouldn’t be encouraged to sit longer than needed. Your shipped eggs have to be hatched in an incubator, they don't do well under a broody.
Candle for saddled or loose aircells, set but don't turn for 4-5 days to help the air cells stabilize.
Break you broody from sitting, so she doesn't waste her time.

Thank you . I will try to break her from going broody. I definitely don’t want her to go thru all of this without results.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Personally I'd put at least some eggs under the hen. I often collect eggs for a week after she goes broody before I start them. I can't give guarantees with living animals, anything can happen, but I've never had one quit before she hatched the eggs. Before a hen starts laying eggs she puts on a lot of extra fat. This fat is mostly what she lives on while broody so she can stay on the nest instead of needing to be out looking for food and water. A hen will lose weight while broody but it is fat put there for that purpose. That does not mean it is unhealthy. I have no qualms with one being on the nest over five weeks. If it is going to be longer than five weeks i break them.

Sometimes eggs get shaken up during shipping but not always. I've had a100% hatch with shipped eggs, I had a 16% hatch with shipped eggs. You can't tell what will happen with shipped eggs.

If you don't have an incubator and will just toss them I'd absolutely give them to the hen. Or maybe candle them, give the best two or three to the hen and incubate the rest. Then give any that hatch to the hen to raise.

 

[Iluveggers]

Personally I'd put at least some eggs under the hen. I often collect eggs for a week after she goes broody before I start them. I can't give guarantees with living animals, anything can happen, but I've never had one quit before she hatched the eggs. Before a hen starts laying eggs she puts on a lot of extra fat. This fat is mostly what she lives on while broody so she can stay on the nest instead of needing to be out looking for food and water. A hen will lose weight while broody but it is fat put there for that purpose. That does not mean it is unhealthy. I have no qualms with one being on the nest over five weeks. If it is going to be longer than five weeks i break them.

Sometimes eggs get shaken up during shipping but not always. I've had a100% hatch with shipped eggs, I had a 16% hatch with shipped eggs. You can't tell what will happen with shipped eggs.

If you don't have an incubator and will just toss them I'd absolutely give them to the hen. Or maybe candle them, give the best two or three to the hen and incubate the rest. Then give any that hatch to the hen to raise.

I agree with this! A week isn’t too bad. If she was sitting for 3 weeks or so before eggs that would be too long, but a couple extra days should be ok. Splitting is good to make sure something hatches. If she doesn’t get any to hatch by day 22, you can slip the incubator hatches under her at night.

 

[LizzzyJo]

My broody hen happily hatched the eggs I transported for her. She’d been broody for like two weeks at that point. I got 4/4 roosters out of it, but that’s another matter entirely…

 

[Happy hen lover]

My broody hen happily hatched the eggs I transported for her. She’d been broody for like two weeks at that point. I got 4/4 roosters out of it, but that’s another matter entirely…

I'm glad to hear it worked. I tried putting chicks under mine last year with no luck. I had to raise them! I think next time I might borrow a rooster we gave away last yearb but if she's broody she won't be out to get bred! May rethink that plan.

 

[LizzzyJo]

I'm glad to hear it worked. I tried putting chicks under mine last year with no luck. I had to raise them! I think next time I might borrow a rooster we gave away last yearb but if she's broody she won't be out to get bred! May rethink that plan.

I’ve never tried the chick adoption plan. I hear it can work, but I’ve never done it.

 

[Lkf1960]

Personally I'd put at least some eggs under the hen. I often collect eggs for a week after she goes broody before I start them. I can't give guarantees with living animals, anything can happen, but I've never had one quit before she hatched the eggs. Before a hen starts laying eggs she puts on a lot of extra fat. This fat is mostly what she lives on while broody so she can stay on the nest instead of needing to be out looking for food and water. A hen will lose weight while broody but it is fat put there for that purpose. That does not mean it is unhealthy. I have no qualms with one being on the nest over five weeks. If it is going to be longer than five weeks i break them.

Sometimes eggs get shaken up during shipping but not always. I've had a100% hatch with shipped eggs, I had a 16% hatch with shipped eggs. You can't tell what will happen with shipped eggs.

If you don't have an incubator and will just toss them I'd absolutely give them to the hen. Or maybe candle them, give the best two or three to the hen and incubate the rest. Then give any that hatch to the hen to raise.

Thank you. I appreciate your advice.

 

[Mrs. K]

I agree with Ridgerunner - NOTHING is more fun to watch than a hen with chicks!