Broody hen - can I put fertile eggs under her?

[enviromom]

Hi-

We have a broody hen. She's been sitting for 7 days now though we've been taking the eggs from under her. (We don't have a rooster.) I found fertile eggs for sale on Ebay. They ship overnight I believe so we could have eggs for her in a couple of days. I wonder though if she will sit long enough for them to hatch now that she's been at it for so long?

Thank you!

 

[IggiMom]

The answer is--probably. If she is a first time broody, you may not know for sure, but my guess would be that is she has been that determined, she will most like set your eggs for you.

BTW, when I want a hen to hatch eggs for me, I dust her with sevin and also her nest, because a broody is so at risk for mites.

Then she will be comfy as she sets.

Or you could use DE, but I use sevin. I hope I spelled that right.

Good luck with your hen. A faithful broody is really neat.

Catherine

 

[enviromom]

Thanks for the advice from one Mom to another!

My kids and I feel sorry for her as she is so determined. We only have 3 hens and this is the first time we've seen this.

 

[Judy]

Here's an article you should enjoy:

http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/Broody-Hens-1.html

Nothing greater than a new mama raising chicks! I have one now. Love to watch them. She does such a good job.

 

[killer]

change her eggs out at night. we have good luck doing it that way. had one setting on golf balls so long thought she might hatch them, felt bad about her wanting to hatch we gave her some eggs out of the bator that liked about 5 days to hatch. she had been trying to go broody for 5 weeks and we would take her eggs and make her move. she is a good mom right now with 5 babies

 

[goldnchocolate]

Yes, definitely put some eggs under that girl

Several weeks ago I put some eggs under a 'first time' broody hen and this is what I found when I checked on her last Friday:

I have never had a hen hatch eggs before so the experience still has me smiling everytime I see the chicks with her.