Broody bantam question & request for advice

[tamberlin]

We have an approx. 1 year old Japanese bantam who has gone broody on us. Classic signs: pancake chicken in the nest box, won't leave the nest box, tries to bite your hand off if you try to move her, etc. Since we have never had a broody before we are curious if we can successfully put some fertilized eggs under her. Questions: How long can we wait until we get her eggs? she's only been broody for about 3 days now. However, before she came to live with us, she apparently successfully brooded and hatched her own chicks at her former home.

Any advice is welcome! Thank you!
Deb & Lizzie
amateur chicken keepers

 

[emys]

It is best to give them eggs within a week to 10 days of going broody, so anytime within the next week would be good. It gets harder on the hen the longer you wait.

Good luck with your hatch!

 

[skillswife]

If you need to buy some more time before getting her eggs you can put golf balls or fake eggs under her and that can encourage some hens to stay broody. Congrats on the broody! They are fun.

 

[tamberlin]

Thank you all for your advice. It's day 3 and she's still hunkered down in there. She has 2 of her own eggs under her. Since we got her about 3 1/2 weeks ago and at that time she'd been around roosters, do you all think there is a slight chance she might still be laying fertile eggs? I've read somewhere that they can hold onto the male contribution for some time... is it true?
Thanks!

 

[emys]

It's a slight chance. Max is around 3 weeks. I wouldn't count on it.