HELP please!!! Will my hen stay broody for more than 21 days?

[Chillin with Chooks]

For the first time, I'm hoping to raise some chicks using my Plymouth Rock "Fraggle" as a surrogate.

Fraggle went broody last Monday (20th Sept), and has been sitting on the last (unfertilised) egg from my late hen "Pavlova", who sadly died a week ago. I have a breeder who is producing about nine fertilised eggs to slip under Fraggle, and I'll be picking these up on Saturday 25th Sept.

Here's my question:
Will the five days extra she has to sit on eggs make a difference, or is she likely to give up when they don't hatch after her 21 days are up, or is she likely to just sit there until they hatch?

I've moved Fraggle from the henhouse so she doesn't go back to the egg laying box which is not safe for chicks as it's high off the ground. I've got Fraggle sitting on fresh straw with food, water and veggies within reach of her nest and she seems quite content to just sit there knitting booties (only kidding!).

Also, is there an easy way back to this thread, such as a 'suscribed threads' link?

Many thanks

Ruth

 

[paddock36]

Yes she will stay broody for longer, especially if she has something to sit on.

 

[Chillin with Chooks]

Phew! Thanks for answering. I take it that it's usual for a broody hen to go off their food a bit and not move around much? I'm really looking forward to putting the fertilised eggs under her in two days time.

 

[pgpoultry]

Your hen should successfully hatch eggs for you.

She will eat and drink probably only once a day and poop at the same time. Make sure that she has food and fluid available for her own use that will not be taken by others.

Good luck with the hatch,

Sandie

 

[Chillin with Chooks]

Thanks Sandie

I've brought her in close to the house on the patio, away from my other two, and housed her in a wire hutch off the ground with a deep bed of fresh straw. We can keep a close eye on her and she is safe from our little curious dog, who is quite unaware of her presence. I partially cover the hutch with a cloth at night and she looks most content. I'll post some pictures soon.

 

[Sissy]

Happy hatching

 

[sourland]

Make sure that her pen is secure from raccoons. They will not hesitate to travel decks or patios searching for pet feeders. If she is a good broody, she will set for more than 21 days.

 

[Happy Chooks]

My broody was on the nest on wooden eggs for 4 days before I gave her the eggs to hatch. She hatched all 8 of them between Tuesday and yesterday.

ETA: Chickens can't count. They don't know if they have been on the nest for 6 days or 60 days.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Yup, sounds like a good plan. A broody hen just needs a SAFE place to set, food & water handy, and enough room to get up and stretch her legs a bit. She will be content to stay in The Broody Zone until something hatches under her, or the voices in her head tell her otherwise. She won't mind, nor even notice, that she is setting an additional 5 days. Since she isn't as active she won't need as much food & water, and will only get up once a day to eat, drink, and take an enormous poop.

It's ideal to separate a broody, so that other hens don't interrupt her and try to push her off the nest to lay there, and so she won't get misdirected on her way back from her coffee breaks and go to set on another nest, leaving her egglings to cool.

You may wish to dust her & her nest for mites, which can prey on setting hens who cannot get out for dust baths like other chickens. And I agree, make sure her accomodations are raccoon- & opossum-proof, they love to snack on developing eggs & setting hens.

I wish you & your hen great success!

 

[Kittymomma]

I've put eggs under broody hens that have already been setting for two weeks with no problems. I do give my girls some scrambled eggs a couple of times a week to help keep them in good condition, especially when they're setting longer then normal. The subscribe link is found at the bottom left of the page. Happy hatching!