Do you need to add eggs to get your hen to go broody?

[MareeZoCool]

One old, retired chicken farmer has told me that my hen won't go broody unless I add some eggs to her nest. He told me to take a few back out of the fridge, since I've been collecting daily(she lays 1 per day) I find it hard to believe eggs could be viable, once refridgerated over 24 hours. Is this old guy's advice valid, or has his memory slipped?

 

[dacjohns]

You can't force a hen to go broody. You can leave eggs in the nest until they explode and if the hen isn't broody it won't work. It's all up to them and Mother Nature.

I think people have hatched fertile eggs they got from the store so it looks to me that refridgerating won't kill them. I don't know how long you can refridgerate for though.

 

[Matt A NC]

First, I have hatched eggs that were in the fridge for over a week.

Second, a broody will go broody whether or not there are eggs in a nest. I have 2 on empty nests. 1 will be getting incubated eggs in less then 2 weeks.

Matt