Finally, eggs but she won't sit!

[CherryHBomb]

My daughter collected our hen's eggs the first week but we would really like to see chicks (so would the roosters). So we are on day 4 of not collecting. All 3 eggs from the last 3 days are there but she won't sit on them. She lays and goes foraging. How long can eggs sit before we have to gather them? I don't want them to ruin but we REALLY want chicks!

 

[The Phantom]

No idea. I would like to know too.

 

[Latestarter]

Generally, IF (big if) the hen is going to brood, she will lay until she feels she has a decent sized clutch, then start brooding. Just keep in mind that some breeds have a better chance to brood than others. Broodyness (?) has been bred out of most breeds as egg production was more important. You can't "force" a hen to go broody... So, best option is to get an incubator. From my understanding, the eggs will be fine for up to a week to 10 days. After ~5 days, viability starts to drop off.

 

[Percheron chick]

She will only sit and go broody if she wants to. Nothing you do will change that. Some breeds will go broody any chance they get while others never will. Later as it warms up more hens tend to go broody or invest in an incubator if you can't wait.

 

[Latestarter]

Other things to keep in mind... If you have other hens laying, they will try to lay in the nest where the brooding hen is. If your hen does go broody, you'll want to "mark" the eggs she starts with so you can go in and collect any others that get added to the pile over time.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

It might be better to wait until a hen goes broody before sticking eggs under her.

 

[Latestarter]

Or... spring for an incubator and avoid the wait

 

[EggSighted4Life]

My daughter collected our hen's eggs the first week but we would really like to see chicks (so would the roosters). So we are on day 4 of not collecting. All 3 eggs from the last 3 days are there but she won't sit on them. She lays and goes foraging. How long can eggs sit before we have to gather them? I don't want them to ruin but we REALLY want chicks!

Hi, welcome to BYC!

First let me say that I wouldn't try to hatch FIRST eggs if she just started laying. The reproductive system is just getting up and running so they may have hiccups like double yolks or shell-less eggs. Which means you might hatch a bunch of deformities. Also note that IF she just started laying and is a pullet... her body and mind are still growing and maturing. I will NOT let my gals brood if they under a year old. It's like letting a teenager verses a lady in their mid 20's. Their bodies still need the nutrients from regular feeding which they don't do when sitting. My ladies usually lose some weight AND they become very shaky. Just not gonna let them lose condition like that on my watch. Once they become more mature, their bodies are much more filled in and better equipped to handle the situation, though it is still hard on them. And I often will adopt chicks from the feed store (up to 6 days old but younger is better) or from my incubator to the broody ladies so they don't sit for sooo long and I get to try other breeds that way... without having to deal with all the extra cockerels that come along with hatching. I'm ok with it now, but in the beginning butchering is difficult. And not all will be able to find homes. We knew we wanted to feed ourselves, so we committed... but some people won't be able able to. Sometimes they will keep a stag pen for all their boys to live in until their day comes naturally. I do keep a stag pen, but only for breeders or eaters... nobody stays forever and how long they do is often dictated by their behavior among the flock.

No matter how many eggs you do or don't leave in the nest... broody is a hormonal thing. I collect all eggs everyday and have some broody's that will sit on nothing but imagination. Yes some breeds are more likely than others to go broody.. though I see exceptions ALL the time. It, like so many other things can really vary by individual. I have one girl that goes broody EVERY 3 weeks like clock work until I let her sit. Or every 3rd egg once she breaks from her original broody spell.

If your gonna leave eggs in the nest, I suggest fake ones and collect the eggs you wish to hatch until you have someone actually broody. That way the hatching eggs won't be jostled every time someone enters or exits the nest. Less chance of breakage, scrambling, fecal contamination, or other things that make for less hatch-ability. IF and when you do set eggs, be sure they all go under on the same day. Have them marked well and check the nest daily to remove eggs that might have been deposited by other ladies.

I'm sure plenty have posted since I started typing.

I will add that there ARE a few things that DO encourage a broody IF they are going to.. adequate nutrition (not layer in my opinion & NOT "spoiled" by treats), plenty of space (no overcrowding), shelter, proper internal and external parasite control as needed, and protection from predators. Generally good health and an overall sense of well being. Even then some ladies don't have a broody bone in their body. And by providing adequately... broody is NOT seasonal for me the way it WOULD be in nature where the seasons predict how much resources are available. I live fairly far north, with about 8 hours of daylight in winter and no artificial supplementation... and I had broody's in the breaker MOST of the winter so far and a girl who is a few weeks into raising a chick right now.

My broodiest are of course the Silkies. My French Black Copper Marans have also been plenty frustrating and even rehomed due to excessive broodiness. But I've had broody Swedish Flowers, and even hatchery barred rock (her second year she went broody even though she didn't in year 1) raise chicks. A local guy even got a rooster from me for his broody red sex link who hatched and raised a clutch of chicks there after. And seen broody leghorn, though it isn't their norm. When I first started with chickens I though getting a broody was rare and would never happen for me. Boy was I wrong! So I would say just enjoy your hobby and maybe let happen naturally as chicken math tries to wrangle you in.

And I will note that while it's cool to see a broody raise chicks... there is nothing friendly about them during most of that time, if you are used to them being lap pets. It is very much a blessing to witness... if all goes well.

Last but maybe not least... you won't get ANY eggs from a broody hen. In my experience it last between a minimum of 3 but up to 12 weeks. Not usually less than 7 with adopted chicks that didn't include 3 weeks of sitting before hatch.

Hope this is helpful to you!

And good luck in your future en devours.

 

[keesmom]

My daughter collected our hen's eggs the first week but we would really like to see chicks (so would the roosters). So we are on day 4 of not collecting. All 3 eggs from the last 3 days are there but she won't sit on them. She lays and goes foraging. How long can eggs sit before we have to gather them? I don't want them to ruin but we REALLY want chicks!

Nothing you do can force a hen to go broody. Many breeds have had broodiness bred out of them. It's also winter which is a time when most broodies are not inclined to set.

Since it sounds like she just started laying, you have a pullet, not a mature hen. Her system is just starting to get into gear and she's not likely to want to go sit on eggs anytime soon. She may never do so. If you cannot wait for chicks then get an incubator.

In another post you mentioned only having 3 birds. Do you only have one pullet? And have her with 2 cockerels?

Before you hatch any eggs, either by incubator or hen, have a plan for the excess males. In many places you can't even give them away.

 

[lazy gardener]

Broodiness is a hormonal state. Presence or absence of eggs in the nest will not induce broodiness.

A pullet (what she is until she is a year old) does not produce large eggs. The smaller her eggs are, the greater the likelihood that her chicks, if her eggs were to hatch will start life at a disadvantage. (kind of like comparing a 4# human baby to an 8# human baby). Best to wait till her eggs are bigger. Also, it's a good idea to put pullet and cockerel on high quality feed and multi vits to make those eggs as healthy as possible before trying to hatch them.

Do you know that your eggs are fertile? Simply having a cockerel or rooster is not a guarantee that the eggs are fertile. Do a thread search to learn how to identify a fertile egg.

Do you have room for more birds? General back yard flock recommendations are a minimum of 4 s.f. in coop and 10 s.f. in run per bird. Add one or more roos, or a broody hen, or chicks, and you need MORE than the minimum recommended space in order to prevent behavioral problems. Do you have an exit plan for any cockerels you hatch?