How long are the eggs fertile for?

[farmerbrownsdaughter]

I don't have a rooster but have access to one and want to leave my girls with him for a week or so but I'm wondering how long the eggs will be fertile for and how do I get them broody as soon as they get home? Has anyone had success this way?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'm wondering how long the eggs will be fertile for

Eggs are usually fertile for about 2 weeks after mating. It can be less, like 10 days, or more, like 3 weeks, but two weeks is usually close. They are not fertile until two days after mating. The way the hen's egglaying factory works, if the hen is mated on a Monday, Tuesday's egg is already past the make it fertile stage, so Wednesday's egg is the first that willbe fertile.

A rooster does not necessarily mate with each hen every day. That's why I'm talking about mating, not when you introduce them.

how do I get them broody as soon as they get home?

An incubator. Some hens never go broody. Some may go broody 3 times a year. Some people claim they can force a hen to go broody. Maybe they can. But an incubator is the only way I would trust.