Hen not sitting on eggs anymore

[Chixlittel]

I have a buff orpington that was broody for 3 weeks before I finally gave in and gave her eggs to hatch. It's been 7 days, and I don't think she is broody anymore. . I have her in a large dog crate in my basement. Nice and quite. She was doing real good, than all of a sudden I notice she is not really sitting on the eggs. I candled the eggs, they are definently fertile, and I think alive. ( can't really tell) what do I do. I don't have an incubator, and i don't know the first thing about incubating. If I leave her in the crate with the eggs, and she sits an them, could they still hatch? Or is her body temp different know that she isn't broody? Help.

 

[Pyxis]

If she was to continue sitting on them, they would hatch. However, they need to be sat on almost all the time for that to happen, with the exception of the small break a broody takes each day.

She may just be done brooding. Three weeks is how long it takes eggs to hatch, so now that it's been four weeks, she may just be done with it. Her body knows that it's time to give up because her eggs aren't going to hatch and being broody is hard on a hen. She might even start laying in the nest and pooping on the eggs if you keep her in the crate with them now that she doesn't want to hatch anymore.

Your best bet, if you really want them to hatch, is to buy or borrow an incubator and use that. Unless she sits on them all the time except to take a short break once a day, they will never make it to hatch.

 

[Chixlittel]

I really hope I'm wrong. Before I got her eggs, I asked around, and everyone was saying give her eggs, she will sit on them. It isn't too late. My fear was she had been broody for a while, and if I got her eggs after a couple weeks, she would stop in the middle of the process. Well, I think that my thinking was correct unfortunately.

 

[Pyxis]

Some birds will keep going, while others will quit. I have a silkie that went for three months - and I have a buff orp who gave up after two weeks, and she was on fertile eggs. So it is an individual bird type of thing. I've found that most will go to four weeks and some to five, but longer than that and they usually give up.

 

[Chixlittel]

Ugg. Guess I might be buying an incubator. Any suggestions? I don't want to spend a lot of money. And I know nothing about it.

 

[encoreman]

This sounds exactly what could happen to me. I am no expert, but I would be getting an incubator pronto or hope she will continue to brood them. I guess this is why everyone should have a backup like an incubator or better yet a friend with one. Wish you luck. Mac

 

[song of joy]

Unless you really want to raise the chicks yourself, I'd be inclined to throw out the eggs rather than incubate them. If you do decide to incubate them, time is critical as the hen is no longer incubating them. I wouldn't want them to cool down for more than 12 hours at the most.

 

[Chixlittel]

I feel bad, but I think I'm just gonna give up. The only reason I got the eggs was for her to hatch them. I don't have an incubator, and don't have time to learn, and do it myself. Maybe next time, I'll give her eggs right away instead of waiting too long. Lesson learned.

 

[song of joy]

I feel bad, but I think I'm just gonna give up. The only reason I got the eggs was for her to hatch them. I don't have an incubator, and don't have time to learn, and do it myself. Maybe next time, I'll give her eggs right away instead of waiting too long. Lesson learned.

Don't beat yourself up. So much of chicken-keeping is a learning experience. You'll be well-prepared when the time is right.

 

[Chixlittel]

Thanks for the help. I appreciate it. I put her back with the flock last night. Cracked open the eggs. Curiousity. 1 was not fertalized. One was long dead, and the other 2 had small embryos, but had died. Probably when she stopped sitting. So, I'm glad I tried it. I did learn something from the experience. And your right. Everything is a learning experience with chickens. I can't believe how much I have learned by trial and error. My niece and sister were so excited to see baby chicks hatch. Me too. Next time. One of the reasons I got buff orpingtons was cuz they go broody. So, it will happen again I'm sure. I have 5 of them.