How long can a hen leaver her eggs for?

[SunshineMollyR]

Thank you for all your valuable advice -

Double celebration - Daphne hatched a few hours after April. Both chicks are doing well but as they keep changing eggs one was born under Ezmay (the serama) and the other under Red (the silkie) unfortunately I had not read your post about removing the other eggs so between them they have collected 5 eggs laid from about the 29th March from the other hens in the flock Last night I moved the girls, eggs and chicks into a smaller enclosure. Should I now remove all the eggs and let the girls have one chick each or separate them so they will stop exchanging and let one have the chicks and the other the eggs.

Really appreciate advise on next steps - thank you again x

 

[rebrascora]

Great news that you have a second chick and lovely that April will have a playmate sibling.

Ezmay has been sitting the longest so I would give her both chicks and separate the two broodies and leave Red on the eggs and don't allow any more eggs into her nest, otherwise you will end up with a staggered hatch again. It's unlikely you will be so lucky as to have another broody to take over the late hatchers a second time.

I hope you get as much enjoyment from watching your broodies with their chicks as I have in the past and hopefully will again in the near future..... just need one of my girls to go broody.... I've got one that has just found a secret place to lay and she has put three eggs into it so far(my chickens free range), so I'm keeping an eye on it. Mine typically like to lay a clutch of 14-15 eggs before they clock, so I probably have a couple of weeks to wait before I'll know if she's serious or just teasing me!.

 

[SunshineMollyR]

Thank you - I will do that. Ezmay will be delighted and Red has fun to come. Good luck with yours.
Really appreciate the info.
Chicken hugs x