Broody Hen

[feldon]

My Buff Orp went broody in the middle of June. I managed to get some fertile eggs to put under her which she accepted. After a few days she got off them & started sitting on the other hens eggs...not fertile...her fertile eggs went cold & I destroyed them. She still continued with her broody behaviour, & I bought 6 fertile eggs from eggbid. They were mailed from the east coast on Monday, I am in Wa state. As of today they haven't arrived. Hopefully tomorrow. How long does a broody hen stay broody? I'm afraid that if they don't arrive soon, she will be over it & I will have the world's most expensive omelete. I don't have an incubator.
feldon

 

[joannamarie]

i had to find eggs that were from a cross as i cant keep roosters, it was 2 weeks before i could get any fertile eggs i made her get up once a day then return then once i got fertile ones i left her to it she didnt move for 21 days after that.
i left food near her and kept giving her water then moving it so she didnt spill it so she sat on eggs for 35 days in total and 2 out of 3 hatched

 

[feldon]

I have a seperate area for her all set up apart from the rest of the 'girls'. This way she'll not get distracted by the other nest boxes. Hopefully the eggs will arrive tomorrow, I bought 6 Wellsummer eggs. I'll keep you posted. I love this web site everyone is so friendly & helpfull.
feldon

 

[joannamarie]

thats what i did seperated broody hen where she was so she didnt get up, as one of the other hens kept stealing the eggs then she would sit for five minutes then get up walk off and not come back