First time going broody and I have questions!

[Sakai]

I think my bantam hen has gone broody.
Apparently she has been sitting in the nesting box for three days and my Boyfriend was too chicken ( no pun) to reach under her to check for eggs because he didn't want to get pecked (big baby) So today I checked her and she had one egg under her and was like.. huh? Because she always gave us a egg a day. that's when my boyfriend told me she's been in the nest box for days. The hen almost always leaves right after laying so I figured what the heck. I marked the egg and gave it back to her. So I have some questions.

1. Is it too late to go broody? It's almost November but is still in the high 80F in the day low 50F at night. plus we have a heat lamp that turns on every morning at 5am. warms up the coop and gives the girls enough light. I don't plan on incubating, so I wonder if it will be warm enough with just the hen sitting.

2. How long do we wait to candle the egg to see if there is anything in there?

3. I have no idea if my hen has eaten or had water in these three days. We work at night and sleep in the day so it's hard to keep a eye out to see if she's getting off the nest. There is water next to the boxes, but no food. Should I set some food in there too? maybe she'll be more comfortable eating if she doesn't have to go outside and to the other side of the run to get it.

4. I'm about 80% sure her egg is unfertilized, but I've noticed the fertilized "Spot" on the yokes of my EE's so would it be alright to give my broody hen a few other eggs to sit on, ones that I'm pretty sure have been fertilized?

Thanks for all the help everyone!

 

[DonnaBelle]

Hi, I'm giving you a bump because I too have a banty who has gone rogue on me by getting under the chicken house and sitting on some eggs. At least I think that's what she's up to. I can't get under there to find out. She was missing for a week, I thought something had gotten her, although I've never lost a chicken. Oops, I digress, anyway, she was STARVED when she came out and thirsty, so we put water under the chicken house, with food and so now we are waiting to see what happens.

Also, I have a RIR hen, just 8 months old who is sitting on 12 eggs, my DH was sooo excited. (takes a lot to get him excited these days) so we are waiting to see what happens with her also.

I have a large chicken house, 12 x 24 ft. and partitioned off so I guess I can keep them all separate if they do hatch.

Ahhh adventures in agriculture.

DonnaBelle

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

I too have my first broody, and so far she has only left her nest once in almost a week, and pardon the grossness here, only to drop the biggest pile of chicken poo I have EVER seen, get some grit and a quick dust bath, then it was back to the nest. I put a small water dish in her nest with her, and I also put feed her in her box daily, because I am sure she doesn't leave unless she HAS to...also, on the egg fertility question - my silkies eggs aren't fertile yet (her boyfriend isn't "of age") so I took her egg away, and gave her an egg from my layer flock where I KNOW they are fertile. I only gave her one, because I don't really want chicks this late in the year, but it's the only fool-proof way I know to break her broodiness, and she's so sweet that if hatching babies is what she really wants, I don't have the heart to take that away from her...

Good luck!

ETA: Oh, and you can candle them between 7-10 days to see if they are growing, and again at 15-18 days or so to make sure things are still progressing...but don't touch them after that!!

 

[Sakai]

thanks for the tips ^.^ I can't wait to see what develops. The bantam seems to be switching nest boxes, she sits on the other girls eggs rather than her own. Not sure why.

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

One of my EE's does that - she isn't truly broody though, she just sits on anyone's eggs but her own, and if I reach under her and take it away, she leaves the nest...dunno why...

 

[The Chicken People]

If her egg is not fertilized then take it out and give her fertile eggs! She will know how to take care of her babies and she will keep them warm! If you dont want babies then put her in a dog crate with food and water and no nesting materials! This will break her from being broody in a few days!

 

[Attack Chicken]

She will do fine if she's broody and congratz! My first broody hatched about 3 weeks ago and her babies are growing perfectly even with the chilly nights we have here and no heat lamp in my coop yet. Get some fertile eggs under her or order some

 

[Sakai]

My bantam left her egg all night and it got COLD last night so I assume that even if there was life in the egg, there must not be now. We take all the eggs from the boxes but she decided to sit on the golf ball rather than her own egg...so I'm thinking i should take the golf balls away for now and give her (hopefully) fertilized egg(s) and take her egg away. otherwise I'll try and break her from being broody.
Thanks for all the tips everyone! I'm learning so much.