how long can a broody hen be off her eggs?

[dannyelle123]

Thank you, that was my other idea- to just put a wire frame against the boxes to keep her in and the others out and think that might actually work better... She has seemed content with coming off just in the morning when I feed everyone, so I might try that instead...My plan was to relocate the 3 older hens when the eggs hatch because the broody is very submissive to them and I think they'd be more likely to cause problems with the chicks... so I think I'll end up doing so sooner so that everyone can get settled... They are going to my moms in my old coop, but the roof is in need of repair so I think I have a weekend project in store

 

[Selsley]

we too had a hen go broody about 2 weeks ago, right in the middle of a cold spell.

in the summer with our 1st broody, who we kept finding in her original nest in the 1st few days of giving her eggs, i know for a fact she was off the eggs for a minimum or 4 hours in the early stages of her set and when i put her on the nest the first time, they were stone cold, all 7 of her eggs hatched.

again with the new broody she was hanging around the laying nest, a lot, and we chose some eggs for her to sit and put them where she would eventually sit them, in the 1st couple of days we had to keep putting her back on her eggs, i think initially they arent fully broody and sit on the eggs they have, to protect them while they go broody completely, unlike the 1st hen who took almost a week to return to the eggs on her own, this hen did it after 2 days, i put a barrier accross to keep her in, but since shes a bantum, she passed through the gaps, but it does act as a barrier to keep the other hens from depositing their eggs where she is sitting. she seems pretty determined to sit her eggs, and i have only seen her out about 3 times.

in the summer the broody would be outside playing sometimes for nearly 2 hrs, but it was warm then. what worries me is the fact it is so cold, i did check the eggs today when she was off them, and they did feel warm to the touch but not as warm as a newly laid egg in this weather. so all we can do is wait and see.

i wont try to say i know everything about egg development or how long they have to be sat on before they come to a stage where they can die, but a hen will lay many of her own eggs over many days before they sit them if you gave her eggs a couple of days old and she left them in the early stages, they could well be still viable, i was worried about our 1st broody and blocked her into the nursery, and let her outside and monitored her until, like i said, she went back on her own. if its possible you could lock her in with the eggs to stop her leaving them,
we have a small box fixed to the side of the nest with a small bowl of water and food, so if she wants she can feed from the nest.

if you keep returning her to the nest she will eventually learn, if not, fix a barrier up until she does.
goodluck

 

[dannyelle123]

Thanks for your input! I'm in central cali so it doesn't get to freezing temps... around 30 is the lowest. As for today I decided to lock her in the nest and others out... I had a frame with hardware wire on it, so just propped it against the opening to her box, leaving one box free for the others as well as a covered catbox as an extra laying spot... However it seems the other girls are holding out on me today... I let her out this morning and just again uncovered her nest to see if she wanted to come out, but she stayed in so I covered it back up... We are going to have a 2 day break from rain so hoping to get my old coop fixed up and relocate my bossy 3 shortly so that I can uncover her box and let her out at will... This was supposed to be a trial run, but I'm already super attached and acting like a helicopter chicken mom!

 

[Selsley]

yeah, lol, however did chickens cope before humans started keeping them lol, i was terrible in the summer, a bit more relaxed this time but apprehensive about the cold, the whole place was white 2 days ago

 

[dannyelle123]

yeah, lol, however did chickens cope before humans started keeping them lol, i was terrible in the summer, a bit more relaxed this time but apprehensive about the cold, the whole place was white 2 days ago

Right??? lol...I almost think it might be better to brood in the cold... God forbid a hen succumb to heat exhaustion staying in the nest so long and refusing to get up for water...

 

[dannyelle123]

What the heck? So I've been letting the broody out once a day and locking the other girls out of the coop/run while she comes out to eat/stretch/dust bathe... Just now as I'm watching from the window I saw my barred rock hen run by and mount a cream legbar?! I was in shock... Could a broody hen make another hen turn into a rooster? LOL Maybe she thinks the babies will need a dad. So weird

 

[21hens-incharge]

What you saw dannyelle123 was most likely a normal dominance behavoir. Not what anyone wants happening but perfectly normal.

It happens more often in an all hen flock from what I have seen.

 

[dannyelle123]

New dilemma- has anyone had a double embryo egg survive? When candled I'm pretty sure I can see 2 embryos moving around!

 

[21hens-incharge]

It is rare but does happen. If you google twin chicken hatching I think you will find some informtion on it.

 

[dannyelle123]

I'm addicted to candling! This is the egg in question... Lavender Orpington x Sicilian Buttercup What do y'all think? Two distinct blobs?