hen setting for long time

[jtbuck]

I have a Black Copper Maran that has been sitting on 11 eggs for seems like forever. Will she come off if they don't hatch or what should i do??

 

[Kiki]

I have a Black Copper Maran that has been sitting on 11 eggs for seems like forever. Will she come off if they don't hatch or what should i do??

Can you candle one or two to see what's going on in the eggs?

 

[jtbuck]

Don't have a lite strong enough..

 

[PD-Riverman]

I have a Black Copper Maran that has been sitting on 11 eggs for seems like forever. Will she come off if they don't hatch or what should i do??

When you set your hen----always a good idea to mark the calendar---so you for sure know the hatch date.

 

[Kiki]

Don't have a lite strong enough..

duh.....
never mind.

 

[bobbi-j]

Do you know exactly how long she's been setting? It takes 21 days on average for eggs to hatch. Some will hatch a few days earlier, some a few days later. If it's been longer than 25 days, I'd dispose of the eggs and either try to break her broodiness or get some day old chicks to slip under her.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I have a Black Copper Maran that has been sitting on 11 eggs for seems like forever. Will she come off if they don't hatch or what should i do??

If you don’t know how long she has been setting, it gets rough knowing what to do. Can you think back to a day you are certain she was sitting on those eggs? Hopefully you can do that much, even if it is a week or two after she started. Mark that on a calendar or however you keep track of days and dates. The go to the following day and count out 25 days. That should give you a date you are absolutely sure it is safe to toss the eggs.

It will not hurt the broody hen to sit on the eggs that long. She stored up a bunch of fat before she went broody, that fat is what she is mostly living on. It will last a couple of weeks longer than the 21 days period. She will lose weight but it’s just fat stored for that purpose. But if that time period passes without any eggs hatching, I’d do what Bobbi suggested.

 

[jtbuck]

She was hiding behind a hay bale so didn't see her. Her eggs aer really dark brown will see I can get a lite to go through. what would I be looking for??

 

[Ridgerunner]

Life gives you some challenges doesn’t it? I also don’t always have “ideal” conditions, I have conditions “I deal” with. Seems like life tossed one of those your way. Thanks for the additional information, that helps. This link from the Learning Center up at the top of this page shows photos that might help you determine how far along they are or if they are still viable.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/candling-pics-progression-through-incubation-of-chicken-eggs

If I found a broody hen like that I wouldn’t really be all that worried. As long as you have a rooster so the eggs are probably fertile, the odds are really high some will hatch. I wish you luck!

 

[aart]

Life gives you some challenges doesn’t it? I also don’t always have “ideal” conditions, I have conditions “I deal” with.

Haha!! That's a good one!!