how long can a broody hen be off her eggs?

[slappy flock and swap]

was it hot outside

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Quote:
Have you checked her for "company"? Part the feathers on the back of her neck and look by her skin, also under her wings & around her vent area. If you see tiny things crawling around there, she needs to be dusted with some kind of insecticidal powder. 5% Sevin Dust works, or something recommended for use in dog kennels & bedding. Put some in the toe of an old stocking and pounce/shake it in all those places I mentioned to check for the mites. Change the bedding in her pen too, and shake some of that powder over the new bedding.

 

[racingpigeons98]

Thanks I will.

 

[KirstenJL]

I just had this happen last month. My broody got off her nest on Day 13 while I was at work, and when I arrived home I found her in the wrong nestbox (rookie mistake not to pen her up I know). It was a day in the 60's--the eggs were cold and I figured she'd been off the nest for about 4 or 5 hours. I put her back on them in a dog crate and 7 of 9 hatched right on time!

 

[racingpigeons98]

Yeah, but I don't know why only one egg hatched out of six.
At least I got just one.
Hoping it's a rooster.
Thanks!

 

[2overeasy]

Great post - I needed this one today! I have a BO that's been sitting on 13 eggs for 10 days (due to hatch Aug 5th). When I let chickens out this morning at 8:30ish she came out with them. Here is SE TN it's been over 90 every day for 2 weeks. After I let them all out, I went and check her eggs and 1 in the middle had busted and rest were covered in gunk. I took out the busted one, then left them alone for the time being to let her roam, and came to the porch to read about on the forum about busted eggs and gunk, and waited for her to go back. She was up here in the yard with the rest of the flock. I read that I could gently clean the rest with warm water, dry them well and place back in nest. So I did. I candled a few as I did and took out ones that looked empty and porous. At that point, they were already cool (but not cold) to the touch.
By that time it had been about an 1 1/2 hours since she left the nest (that I know of b/c she could have been off for a while before I let them out.)
After I finished cleaning them, I came out of the hen house and found her wandering around just outside, so I snatched her up. While holding her, I put together a dog kennel and went a grabbed the eggs - hay and all - and cradled them in my shirt (still holding her) and put them all in dog kennel and quickly closed the door. As I was walking away, it looked as though she was settling back on the eggs. That has been 20 minutes and I'll be going back out there shortly again to check her.
This is not her first hatch. her first hatch chicks hatched back in mid-April and she was a great momma. So it surprised me that she left them so long, but I assume it's b/c of the broken one. Maybe she knew the rest wouldn't hatch?
What the real bummer is is that I ordered these eggs and paid for them (blue orpingtons) - I've never done that. So I'm doubly determined that they hatch!
I'd appreciate some advice or maybe just your own stories that will tell me what chances I have. I really need the encouragement right now, please!

 

[racingpigeons98]

It's a rooster!
The only egg that hatched is a rooster!
Two more hens went broody, but their first chicks got killed, because they were always fighting. (They were right by each other).I suppose that's the reason.
We just got two chicks that are still alive, I hope. The second broody we put her new eggs. One more week, hoping something will come out.
Question, I put some eggs in the incubator and I candle them every 4 days, but nothing is happening. Some people say that the eggs have to stay a while before you put them in the incubator. They were 4 or 5 days when I put them in. Temperature stays the same, 100.
Any replies.

 

[gander111]

I put fertile eggs under my broody hen 6 days ago, she was fine in the coop, but all the advice said separate her..so I had a new pen built just for her. Since I moved her, she has been on and off of her nest a lot for the last 3 days..I went out 4 times today and she was off the nest and pacing back and fourth. I let her out to free range with the other hens for a short time and moved her eggs back to the coop. When I called my hens back she went right back to her coop nest to sit on her eggs. I think I'll leave her there and when hatching time comes, I'll put the other hens in the new pen until all the chicks hatch..(please!) Then I'll move her back to the new pen. Sheesh!!! Hope it works!

 

[manda28]

Hi just wondering how to get my hen to lay on her fertile eggs? She currently has 2 eggs in her nesting box and she won't sit on them...do I take them out or
Leave them in there

 

[Sunny Side Up]

I wonder how Gander's hen did with her hatch. Sometimes there will be success with leaving a broody in the same coop with the rest of her flock-mates, but since there is potential for trouble I still think it's ideal to try & separate a broody whenever possible. Remember to make the change after dark, try to make it a smooth & seamless move, and keep the hen confined and the new location covered so it's nice & shady and the hen cannot see out. She may fuss the first day or two, but should settle in easier that way.

Manda, it's really difficult to persuade a hen to go broody, you have to wait until their hormones & the little voices only they can hear in their heads tell them to do so. Some hens may never want to brood because this trait has been selectively bred out of many production breeds.