How long do chickens stay broody?

[dancesWchickens]

Does anyone know how long hens will normally stay broody on eggs that don't hatch?

 

[debilorrah]

I am not sure because I have always broken their behavior before I waited long enough to find out. A couple days in jail with no hay to make a nest has done the trick for us.

 

[Southernbelle]

Depends on the hen. I've had some get up after 3 weeks exactly and some that sit and sit and sit until something hatches. I just had a broody hen sit on fertile eggs and when it came time to hatch - nothing. Her eggs were rotten, so I gave her more - she looked ready to keep going, but I ended up trying to move her nest a few days later and she stopped being broody.

So do you have a hen you don't want to be broody? Or do you have a hen whose already sat on a nest that the eggs aren't hatching?

 

[dancesWchickens]

My hen's been broody for about 2 weeks on dud eggs (no roo); just put 4 fertile eggs under her. She liked the new eggs and has gotten even more cranky since I added them... I'm hoping she'll stay on another 3 weeks...

 

[mazinmary]

she should stay on them one of my hens stayed on her eggss for about six weeks and only ended up with one chick
what she was doing was waiting for the other hens to lay an egg and then scooping it under her and she ended up with 24 eggs AND WE ONLY THOUGHT SHE HAD SIX BUT UNFORTUNATLY SHE ABANDONED THE ONLY CHICK LEFT but another hen took it under her wing


good look with her

 

[Matt A NC]

Your hen should be fine and happy with her future babies.

Last year I had a hen that I couldn't break. I used all the tricks to break her and it just didn't work. After 3 months of trying to break her I gave up. I went and bought her 4 day old chicks and stuck them under her. She was the perfect mother.

Matt

 

[Mahonri]

Well, I have a Partridge Rock that is VERY broody... been that way for a couple of days and I won't get fertile eggs (if the PO doesn't scramble them) until Wed. or Thursday so I hope that she can set on them until the 8th or 9th of January!

 

[magikchick]

When my silkie wants to sit you might as well let her. She sat on an empty nest for a month and I gave in and let her hatch a couple of eggs. Makes her happy.