How late after a hen goes broody can you put fertilized eggs under her?

[Kunjun]

She went broody on Saturday, she's still there - sitting on her golf ball! Wondering if I should put some eggs under her?

 

[ChickenRaiser95]

put some storebought eggs under here first for about 5-6 days to make sure... she should growl like a dog at you if you get to close/touch her

 

[Kunjun]

Yes she does! She also puffs herself up. She has 1 of her eggs and the golf ball. I was thinking about having her hatch some fertilized eggs but didnt know if it was too late.

 

[ChickenRaiser95]

its usally hard to get a hen to not be broody.... so at any time im sure you can pop some eggs under her but make sure you just put next to her shell take care of the rest...

 

[Chicken Happy]

My broody hen sounds like Chewbacca from Star wars....kinda spooky. I have been wondering if I could get her to sit on eggs or if she would take day old chicks.

 

[dynodon]

Yes , you can put day old chicks under her .Just MAKE SURE you put them under her at night ,so they will imprint to her .If you just put them in the pen with her , the chicks wont know to go to her ,and she'll get upset that they dont act right ,and will sometimes peck them to death.It really does not matter how long she has been setting ,as long as it's been several days. Hens dont know how to count how many days they have been on the nest .It's the movement ,and peeping as the eggs hatch that signal her to leave the nest .Take the golf ball ,and eggs out ,when you put the chicks in ,so she wont stay on the nest ,waiting for them to hatch ..

 

[dynodon]

You can put eggs under her at almost any time ,after she has started setting .Just dont wait too long ,because when you put the eggs under her it will add 21 more days that she'll have to stay on the nest .. She should be fine ,sitting on the nest for a month ,or so .Just make sure that she has plenty of high quality feed , and water . She will only come off the nest once a day ,to eat ,poop ,and drink .The amount of time that she'll stay off the nest depends on the weather .She'll know how long it takes them to get too cool ,or hot and will react to the temp .I have raised hundreds ,of chickens .And the chicks that a hen hatches ,and raises till they are weaned are MUCH better chickens than you can raise ,from a hatchery under artifical conditions .Plus it is so much fun , watching her scratching , and teaching them what to eat etc.

 

[Kunjun]

Great posts! Thanks so much for the info. I only have 2 hens, no Roos. I'd love her to hatch some little ones. She'd be a lovely mum! My other hen is a bit bored I think.

 

[pamonarch]

You can put eggs under her at almost any time ,after she has started setting .Just dont wait too long ,because when you put the eggs under her it will add 21 more days that she'll have to stay on the nest .. She should be fine ,sitting on the nest for a month ,or so .Just make sure that she has plenty of high quality feed , and water . She will only come off the nest once a day ,to eat ,poop ,and drink .The amount of time that she'll stay off the nest depends on the weather .She'll know how long it takes them to get too cool ,or hot and will react to the temp .I have raised hundreds ,of chickens .And the chicks that a hen hatches ,and raises till they are weaned are MUCH better chickens than you can raise ,from a hatchery under artifical conditions .Plus it is so much fun , watching her scratching , and teaching them what to eat etc.

Ok...my BO went broody a few days ago..i got some fertile eggs from a friend's chickens..i took my Buff off the nest and she went over to eat and drink..i put the 5 eggs in the nest..just before ahe got in the nest she pooped alot and it was runny and had seeds in it..kind of pale orange/yellow in color...and it smelled horrible. .same smell when I picked her up off the nest...is this normal..