Hen still broody after sitting on two clutches over 4 weeks

[Juniperberry]

My hen, Ruby began sitting on a small clutch (5) of turkeys eggs. That turkey got injured and was away recovering for a while. The other turkey, Josie laid her 7 eggs in this nest whilst Ruby was sitting. Josie then sat on the eggs and Ruby left and began sitting on a nest and it’s a couple of freshly laid hens eggs. She allowed the other hens to increase her clutch but was very serious and determined.
I then moved her into a small cage so she would not be interrupted and could peacefully go about making chickens.
After a couple of weeks on her nest, plus the week on the turkey’s she abandoned her nest. Interestingly their was no formed embryos, only a small amount of solid red matter - from all 13 eggs.
She went off happily being a hen, then two hours later she came into the coop looking for some eggs to sit on. She is now sitting on a marker egg and one freshly laid by a different hen this morning.
What are the chances of her bringing a full clutch to gestation? I’m happy to add eggs to her nest and isolate her if this sounds possible.
Or do I get her off the nest and try to keep her from sitting for a week or so?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Are these all turkey hens, chicken hens or a combination of the two?
Is it the same hen sitting now that has been sitting from the beginning?
Are the eggs fertile?

 

[sylviethecochin]

If you're willing to have her raise chicks, why not get some sexed pullets from the feed store and slip them under her at night? That'll break the broodiness, you won't have to deal with cockerels, and she won't continue losing condition.

 

[Juniperberry]

Are these all turkey hens, chicken hens or a combination of the two?
Is it the same hen sitting now that has been sitting from the beginning?
Are the eggs fertile?

Oh sorry - Ruby is a chicken hen and has been sitting (over two different clutches) for four weeks. Yes all eggs should be fertile. Josie is the turkey hen, now sitting on her own clutch.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

The change of hens on the eggs from time to time and if the eggs were abandoned for any length of time, that would cause them to fail.
Whenever you have a hen sitting on eggs, where other hens can volunteer eggs, it is imperative to mark all the first eggs under the hen so newly volunteered eggs can be removed. It is nearly impossible to do a staggered hatch under a hen.
When she starts sitting around the clock, cell division and embryo growth begin. When new eggs are added to the nest, they will be days or even weeks behind in development.
Once the first chicks or poults hatch, the hen will leave the nest and allow the later embryos to die. She won't continue to keep the eggs warm while she is out raising her brood.
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush - so to speak.

As @sylviethecochin said, you must break her broodiness now, either by immediately giving her day old chicks/poults or putting her in broody jail (an elevated wire bottom cage). A hen sitting for 4 weeks will get too weak in the near future to succeed at anything.

 

[Juniperberry]

Thank you so much ChickenCanoe and Silviethecochin. Your advice is very helpful

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I just wanted to add some anecdotal information on how important it is to either break a broody hen or make sure she has fertile eggs - all started at the same time- to sit on.
A friend of mine had two turkey hens. One was sitting on chicken eggs which she took away occasionally. There was no tom but there was a rooster. But she thought the hen would stop on her own.
After over a month of sitting, the turkey hen couldn't walk. After a couple more months of physical therapy and $3,000 of vet bills the turkey hen died.
I buried it for her.

 

[meetthebubus]

Key is really young day old chicks like stated above and hen might not take still but like was said she needs a break somehow 3 weeks is hard on a hen they lose weight

 

[ChickenCanoe]

X2
In my experience, a hen is more likely to adopt chicks of varying ages but a chick that hasn't imprinted on a hen early, may not choose to seek her warmth and protection. The younger the chick or poult, the more likely it will be to bond with her.