Broody hen questions. First time for all.

[darkbrahmamama]

I know that there's a thread dedicated to broody hens, but with over 500 pages, that's a lot to read thru!

One of my brahma hens, Thelma, went broody about a week & a half ago. I asked someone if they'd want the chicks if I let her hatch out some eggs. Knowing that I had a home for the future chicks, I put her in a large dog crate (48x30x32), & put the dog crate in her own horse stall & put 3 eggs under her on Wednesday evening (6/11), all fresh eggs from that days laying. On Friday evening (6/13) I got a text from the woman who owns the property where I have my horse & the chickens (I also take care of her horses for her), that Thelma was laying off of the eggs. I thought that maybe she was just taking a break & that there wasn't anything to worry about. But when I went up on Saturday morning, she was still laying off of the eggs. This being her first time being broody (she's only a little over a year old), & me being completely novice & ignorant on the subject, I thought that eggs were lost for sure being that she hadn't laid on them for 12 +/- hours, & over night at that. I left 1 egg under her just in case & out of my own curiosity if it'll hatch or not, but I got rid of the other 2 (both had started .... so I was bummed), and I gave her 4 fresh ones Saturday evening (6/14). Alas, last night I got another text saying that Thelma was again off of her eggs. This morning she was still off of them, but I put her back on the eggs & she happily adjusted herself on top of them.

I'm 100% completely clueless on the entire subject of letting a hen stay broody & hatch out eggs. Will be eggs be OK with the fact that she's been off of them for so long? The one she's been off of twice, the others once. It's been in high 70's to mid 80's during the day, & high 40's to mid 60's at night. Why would she not lay back on them when she goes to lay back down? I've read that it's normal for the hen to get off of the nest for the first 18 days, sometimes hours at a time, & then not get off of them at all for the last 3 days. I'm going to candle them on Wednesday to see if I notice anything. But I'm concerned that she doesn't get back on the eggs, & that they're lost. But I also don't want to get rid of these eggs if they're still hatchable ...... I'm completely confused & just looking for some insight. I feel like I'm ****** if I do, ****** if I don't, & all I want to do is hatch out some chicks while letting nature do it's natural thing ......

 

[byouland]

I'm also new at this but my hen went broody just 4 weeks ago. Since I was insure I posted my question on here to find out that when a hen goes broody she will pluck all her feathers out of her belly. Plus a hen will stay inside a nesting box for a few days. When they take a break their poop will be extra large and stinky. This was true in all cases for my hen so I bought her some fertilized eggs. It's now 22 days later and we have 3 chicks out of 5 eggs so far. I hope this helps.

 

[darkbrahmamama]

I know she went broody for sure. No feathers on her chest, she stopped laying eggs, all she wanted to do was lay down, & when we'd go to pick her up to bring her in for the night (they all free range, & we weren't going to let to lay on the arena wall over night ..... plus she wasn't on any eggs out there anyway) she's "growl" put her butt up in the air, & "scruff" up her neck feathers. Whenever we'd move her, she'd just plop down. I had let almost a week go by debating if I wanted to break her of being broody, or allow her to hatch some eggs. Being that we have 26 chickens already (9 chicks that are 2 months - 1 a little roo, & 17 adults just over a year - 2 roosters), I didn't want to keep any chicks, especially any more roosters. But since someone said they'd take the chicks, I decided to let her stay broody instead of breaking her of it. I just don't understand why after a couple days she wouldn't lay back on the eggs after she got off of them to eat, drink, etc? Instead she chooses to lay just a few feet away .... on nothing at all except for floor. I also don't know if the eggs should still be alive, or if they died ..... I probably should have just left the other ones, but I didn't want them all to be dead .......

 

[byouland]

I'm not sure why she stays off her eggs so long either. I do know fertilized eggs can last so many days without being under a hen. My hen would come off eggs for up to an hour. I'm not sure if after a hen starts laying on her
eggs how much time an egg can survive. I hope you find the answer. That's awesome you found someone to take the chicks after
they are born. I fear if I keep doing this that I will have too many hens.

 

[darkbrahmamama]

I don't even know if I'll have any to give away! :-(

I'm clueless as to what's going on with her. I know that they get up to get & drink & relieve themselves & stretch ..... but I'd assume she'd lay back down on the eggs! Not next to them. & she want to lay & be left alone .......

I'm think about getting an incubator just to hatch some out ........ I really don't know if I can trust this broody hen or not.

 

[byouland]

I think that sounds like a good idea. Then if she decides to lay on eggs you have them on hand. Or if she goes back and forth with laying on eggs when they hatch you can sneak one under her at night so her broodiness will end sooner. Good luck!

 

[darkbrahmamama]

I think she's bi-broody ...... wants to be broody, but not quite sure that the eggs are, in fact, what she should lay on! Getting an incubator from work today. Should the eggs she was off of still be good? They were only under her for a little over 24 hours, then she was off for about 12, & I put her back on this morning.

 

[byouland]

From what I've read the eggs are still good. I've read where hens can go off an egg for a few days and they still hatched even when the eggs went cold.

 

[darkbrahmamama]

Awesome! I've been looking everywhere for that information with no luck, where did you find it at? I feel like a stupid donkey for tossing out the first 2 eggs now ..... :-/ maybe I'll leave two under her, & put three in the incubator .... hate to buy an incubator for so few, but the woman said she'd take 3 chicks, & this way Thelma still gets to lay on some, & if she gets off of them & they die or some turn out to be infertile or quitters, there's still backups. ..... enough to drive a person crazy!

 

[byouland]

I had found how long somewhere on this site. It's so confusing to find info on here, but I do remember reading about that just recently. If I find it I will let you know.