broody hen - sitting way too long - can I give her new eggs?

[sashanellie]

My white cochin went broody a month and a half ago. She refused to move to a new box where the others weren't laying, so I moved her back. After a month of taking new eggs and leaving hers, we found that her three eggs were "duds." They never developed.

So we took the eggs and encouraged her to go back to the active life. She wouldn't and won't. So for the first time, maybe it was a bad idea, but we did it, we ordered hatching eggs which should come next week.

My question is, has she been sitting for too long? Is it ok to put those eggs under her? Any advice on this situation with shared nesting boxes?

Isolating her is possible but not inside the coop so it wouldn't really be safe for her at night. We live in the woods.

When the eggs come, do I just put them under her and hope for the best or is there a best way to handle it?

thank you all for taking the time!

 

[LRH97]

I would advise against letting her set any longer. A month and a half is already quite longer than what a natural incubation period is supposed to last. Perpetual broodiness is taxing on a hen's health.

This is the biggest reason I separate broody hens. Too many problems arise when they set in the flock's nest boxes. Someone lays under the broody so you may get eggs of different ages that would be at different stages of development, or someone kicks her out and she winds up in another nest box with her eggs chilling. I use a dog crate, and leave her in the coop since that is possible for me. If you have a covered porch or garage or another secure place, that would work as well.

As for the eggs, shipped eggs should be allowed to rest for twenty-four hours, pointy end down, before starting incubation. You would then be ok to set them under her, if you do in fact decide to let her continue setting.

Just a side note on shipped eggs: they can be hit or miss--quite literally. I've had zero hatch from eggs I've ordered in, and I've had better as well. Just depends. Results do tend to be better when using natural incubation (no incubators), however.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Have you checked your Broody's body tone? I've found broods loose alot of weight. To break a broody, I've found Broody Jail works the best. I'd be concerned about your broody's health having set that long. You may want to invest in an incubator?

 

[sashanellie]

Thank you both for your replies and experience. She looks good physically. I take her off the nest every day & she does eat, drink, & scratch a bit each time. I will let her re recuperate then maybe try the eggs & separate her. Poor thing.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Should check her for mites/lice also, broods tend to attract them. Don't know your location so no idea what kind of weather you're having to deal with also.

 

[sashanellie]

Thank you for the suggestion, I did, and she and the coop were ok.

 

[Chassmarie83]

Make sure you watch her closely if you do try to put eggs under her. I had a hen that was broody for about 2 weeks so I put some duck eggs under her to hatch and after about a week and a half she just got up one day and decided she was done sitting. Luckily I was out side so see her get off the nest and time how long she was off to notice that she was no longer interested in it so I could move them to the incubator but I would hate for yours to do the same with hatching eggs you paid for. I would at least have the incubator up and running incase she decides to abandon them.