How long can broody hen be off her eggs before the eggs won't be viable?

[3lackbeard]

I left town for a few days, and when I got back, by broody hen had started brooding in a different nesting box with other non-fertile eggs. Her eggs were left with no heat for a couple days (I'm in Texas but it's been getting into the low 40s at night. They were left alone from about 14 to 17 days. First time I'm trying this, got some fertilized eggs from a neighbor.

Next question. If the eggs aren't viable, and I want to try putting some chicks under her, can I just move her to floor of the coop (instead of nest box where chicks can fall out) and create a nest and brooder for her?

 

[azygous]

Lots of "depends" here, and I don't mean adult diapers.

The viability of the eggs depends on how long they were incubated before the broody lost interest. If she had been sitting long enough for development to begin, then no, they would have been ruined after a couple days of being chilled to 40 degrees.

Getting a broody to adopt chicks depends on how long she's been broody, if she's still broody, and how fickle she is. Usually, unless a broody has been sitting on eggs for more than two weeks steady, it's probably unlikely she'll accept chicks.

A nest on the floor is the best idea when a broody is raising chicks, but this is moot if the broody isn't inclined to accept live chicks in the first place.

 

[Fairview01]

The older the egg is the more durable it is to temperature dips. Id mark them , slip them under her and see what happens or put them in the incubator.

I forgot to turn my incubator on over a 3 day weekend. The eggs were about the same age and cooled down to about 40.degrees. Most of them hatched but were 2 days late.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I'd take the eggs, place the hen where I hoped she would brood, and see if she'll sit on them, and see if anything happens. You can check for movement by candling.

She may not have been off the nest for the whole 2 days, so you don't know how cold the eggs actually got. I once had a batch of eggs abandoned by mistake (due to my foolishness). I opened the coop door and startled the broody who ran into the yard. I hastily caught her when she settled and put her on the eggs and closed the broody hutch door. Only, about 6 hours later, on night lock, discover to my horror that I had picked up her sister who was not broody and NOT having any of this sitting on eggs stuff.

The eggs were very cold, but I put the original hen back on. She sat for several more days. I had a later hatch, about a day or 2 late, and only about 50% survived.

So, there is hope. If the eggs have truly been abandonded for more than a day, I doubt the chicks survived. However, you can use those eggs to train your broody to sit where you want.

Then, you can try to get feedstore or young chicks to foster. I find most hens who have been brooding sincerely for 2 1/2 weeks are ready for chicks. I also find, though, that artificially hatched chicks from feedstores are pretty dumb and often afraid of the hen. It is usually their misbehavior of refusing to stay with the hen and be warmed by her that causes the hen to strike out at them.

I get about 50/50 success with feedstore chicks. Get them young, preferably day or two old. Load them up with electrolytes before you place them under the hen, and watch closely for the next couple of days. It works best if you place at night working from the tail end of the hen so she can't strike out at you while you hold the chick. Usually I have some success by morning. It is during that first day that the chicks tend to wander, so it usually is best if momma and chicks are confined to prevent a chick stranding themselves.

Good luck. Let us know what happens.

LofMc

 

[Shadrach]

4 hours is the longest I've had a hen off the nest and still return and hatch. Some eggs didn't hatch, but only one seemed to be because of arrested development.
I'm in Spain so the temperature needs to be taken into account.
Once a hen has deserted her nest here I crack open any remain eggs and I never try to put eggs from one hen under another if there is more than one broody at that time.

 

[3lackbeard]

Thanks for all of your advice. She is definitely a committed broody hen, she's been nesting for 3 weeks easily. When I say "off the nest" it's because she inadvertently hopped onto some eggs in a different nest box. I don't understand how, but she now has 10 eggs underneath her (I only put 4 fertilized eggs under her). Unfortunately, the fertilized eggs are to similar looking to my other hens eggs and I can't tell which are which. So I just leave her be. Guess I'll find out on the 12th-13th when the fertilized eggs will hatch if they're still viable. I think I've decided to forgo trying to brood chicks again, I'm planning to restock the flock with some pullets from a hatchery.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Thanks for all of your advice. She is definitely a committed broody hen, she's been nesting for 3 weeks easily. When I say "off the nest" it's because she inadvertently hopped onto some eggs in a different nest box. I don't understand how, but she now has 10 eggs underneath her (I only put 4 fertilized eggs under her). Unfortunately, the fertilized eggs are to similar looking to my other hens eggs and I can't tell which are which. So I just leave her be. Guess I'll find out on the 12th-13th when the fertilized eggs will hatch if they're still viable. I think I've decided to forgo trying to brood chicks again, I'm planning to restock the flock with some pullets from a hatchery.

If you candle the eggs you should be able to pinpoint the unfertilized eggs quickly.
I would also alter your expected hatch date because when eggs are abandoned for any period of time it will also delay the hatch for pretty close to the same number of hours that they are cold.
Since you weren't home, hopefully she wasn't actually in the wrong box for as long as you think! That would make it more likely that the eggs will still hatch. Fingers crossed!

 

[3lackbeard]

As an update, today is day 22. There were no chicks this morning, but there was one chick this evening when I got home. I tried my hand at candling with the remaining eggs, but I don't think they are viable for whatever reason. I only had 4 fertilized eggs to start with, and it's her first time and my first time, so I guess 25% success rate is fine. I've moved her next to the ground and added food and water to the coop. I'll start closing the pop door during the day so the chick can't stumble out and off the ramp, and hope the momma hen can care for the chick. Any eggs I though might still be viable I left under her, I'll pull them out tomorrow if none have hatched.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

As an update, today is day 22. There were no chicks this morning, but there was one chick this evening when I got home. I tried my hand at candling with the remaining eggs, but I don't think they are viable for whatever reason. I only had 4 fertilized eggs to start with, and it's her first time and my first time, so I guess 25% success rate is fine. I've moved her next to the ground and added food and water to the coop. I'll start closing the pop door during the day so the chick can't stumble out and off the ramp, and hope the momma hen can care for the chick. Any eggs I though might still be viable I left under her, I'll pull them out tomorrow if none have hatched.

What a great update!! I'm so glad one of the chicks made it! Congratulations on the hatch!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Awesome. Since they were chilled, I would leave the unhatched eggs under her until she decides to get up and show her chick food and water (usually by day 2 latest after the chick has hatched...babies have enough reserves from the retained egg yolk to last 2 days from hatch).

Likely all you are going to get is 1 chick...but I'd give the others as much chance as possible.

If she hasn't gotten up with the baby by day 2, then pull the unhatched eggs. Some hens lock into the eggs and don't get up to take care of the hatchlings....that's called a staggered hatch.

Congratulations. 25% in less than perfect circumstances is great.

LofMc