Broody hen issue (left eggs for a few hours)

[Nikki28]

I am dealing with my first broody hen. She had been sitting/setting(?) on the eggs for two days when I moved her into a set up area about 10 feet from the coop. I moved her at night and checked on her an hour later she was asleep on the nest and seemed fine. I'm assuming as soon as the sun came up she left the nest and headed back to "her nest" the eggs were cold when I moved them back under her this morning. I'm assuming she was off for about 3 hours.

Is it worth it to let her continue with the eggs or should I put fresh ones under her?

Thank you!

 

[seminolewind]

It's fine. It's warm or hot by you. I hatched an egg that was in the fridge all day, and also hatched 8 that were in the outside trash all day at 50 degrees.

 

[Southernbelle]

Agree, the eggs should be fine. Broodys are stubborn. Is it possible to leave her where she is until they hatch?

 

[Nikki28]

Thanks for the quick response. I hope all goes well with the hatch.

I guess I will leave her be, I moved her after reading about other hens bullying more timid broody hens and am concerned about the others hurting the babies when they hatch and I also wanted to make sure she had easy access to food and water. The hen is being pretty nasty this morning and growling at me and any other hen near her so hopefully that means she'll be fine where she is. The other girls seem to be using the box furthest from her to lay anyway.

Have any of you ever just left a broody in the laying area?

Thanks again. I'm a little nervous about everything.

 

[seminolewind]

Yes, I have left them till I see chicks come out from under her. With my silkies, I leave them all together because the girls just seem to all want to mother them
Growling is a good sign!
Oh, if you leave her with the others, mark the hatching eggs, cause chances are the other chickens might lay eggs with the hatching eggs!

 

[seminolewind]

You can leave food and water right within reach.

 

[Nikki28]

Thanks!! I will mark them tonight while she is sleeping. I put some water by her this morning so I will move food as well.

 

[bad]

I have a broody silkie that I let her keep several eggs to hatch. I marked the one for her and take all the others since the other hens try to lay in the same nest. She seem to be doing fine.

 

[kuntrygirl]

They will be fine. Happened to me before and all of them hatched.