Hen left eggs at day 16. Will she mother them?

[MOyoChicks]

I have a five-year-old Buff Orpington that has hatched and raised several broods in past years. This year, I started her sitting on a clutch 12-14 days AFTER she started showing signs of being broody. (I won't be vacationing this time of year again!) She sat fine for 15-16 days. And then started NOT going back to the nest after she took her break. I locked her into the broody cage for a couple of days. I lock her in at night. She sits on the nest but is ready to get out in the morning. She still puffs up at the other hens. The eggs are at day 18. I currently have a heat lamp on the them. Will the chicks hatch at this stage with her only sitting at night? Should I continue to lock her in the cage and force her to incubate the eggs? Will she mother them when they hatch? Thank you.

 

[sourland]

I'd give it a try. Since she has raised chicks before, she may accept them, but my gut instinct is that she will not.

 

[MOyoChicks]

I'd give it a try. Since she has raised chicks before, she may accept them, but my gut instinct is that she will not.

Thank you!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Why do you have a heat lamp on the hen, and did you start that before or after she started leaving the nest?

 

[MOyoChicks]

Why do you have a heat lamp on the hen, and did you start that before or after she started leaving the nest?

I can see now how my post may have not been clear. AFTER the hen stopped going back, and I didn’t want to lock her in, I tried a heat lamp in the brooder cage inside the coop. Doesn’t matter now. A friend hatched 3 out of four eggs in her incubator. I’m still thinking I’ll try to see if momma will accept them. But they’re already a week old. Thank you.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Doubtful.

 

[Janet Brad]

I can see now how my post may have not been clear. AFTER the hen stopped going back, and I didn’t want to lock her in, I tried a heat lamp in the brooder cage inside the coop. Doesn’t matter now. A friend hatched 3 out of four eggs in her incubator. I’m still thinking I’ll try to see if momma will accept them. But they’re already a week old. Thank you.

I think it is unlikely she'll take them on. Watch and be prepared to remove them. They can end up being squashed or neglected. Did something happen to cause her to abandon the eggs that late in the peice? Just for future learning...All of mine have been hen raised...nature takes its course! Somecare successful others are total or partial failures.

 

[Janet Brad]

I have a five-year-old Buff Orpington that has hatched and raised several broods in past years. This year, I started her sitting on a clutch 12-14 days AFTER she started showing signs of being broody. (I won't be vacationing this time of year again!) She sat fine for 15-16 days. And then started NOT going back to the nest after she took her break. I locked her into the broody cage for a couple of days. I lock her in at night. She sits on the nest but is ready to get out in the morning. She still puffs up at the other hens. The eggs are at day 18. I currently have a heat lamp on the them. Will the chicks hatch at this stage with her only sitting at night? Should I continue to lock her in the cage and force her to incubate the eggs? Will she mother them when they hatch? Thank you.

Sometimes I think my older girls just like sitting in the nesting box to have a rest.