How long will a broody set before abandoning a nest?

[imacowgirl2]

We have a broody hen who has been setting on eggs, and to this point we had just left her in the regular nest boxes. However, the other day someone must have gotten into her box when she got off because when my daughter found her an hour later she was on a different nest and her eggs were cold. We went ahead and put those eggs in the incubator to prevent any further issues and see if we can save them. At this point she has been setting for somewhere around 15-16 days at least (the eggs are on day 14 and she was sitting at least a day or two, if not more, before that since we didn’t realize she was broody right away). I am thinking about grafting her to a new floor nest not in the regular bank of boxes and giving her a handful of eggs that I was collecting to set in the incubator. If I do this, will will she set long enough to hatch them out or is her internal clock going to make her abandon the nest before they hatch since she would have to sit almost 5 weeks to hatch them out?

 

[Obsessed With Silkies]

Knowing chickens or my silkies anyway, they would if they are persistent. I had some broody silkies but I wasn't ready for them to sit on eggs so they acted broody for weeks before I gave them eggs to hatch. They sat longer than yours so I think she should be fine if you feel like she's persistent enough.

 

[imacowgirl2]

Knowing chickens or my silkies anyway, they would if they are persistent. I had some broody silkies but I wasn't ready for them to sit on eggs so they acted broody for weeks before I gave them eggs to hatch. They sat longer than yours so I think she should be fine if you feel like she's persistent enough.

She is definitely persistent lol…I’m glad I was ready for a broody because I’ve thought to myself multiple times that she would be a bear to break.

 

[aart]

I am thinking about grafting her to a new floor nest

This^^ is how I do it.
Floor nest is in a part of the coop separated by a temporary wire wall.
Put her in there with fake eggs until she settles in(or not) might take a day or so.
Then give fresh fertile eggs.
Tho I've never tried it with a broody who has already been setting that long.

 

[NatJ]

If I do this, will will she set long enough to hatch them out or is her internal clock going to make her abandon the nest before they hatch since she would have to sit almost 5 weeks to hatch them out?

It could go either way. Different hens are different, and sometimes the same hen does it differently one time than another.

her eggs were cold. We went ahead and put those eggs in the incubator to prevent any further issues and see if we can save them.

If you move the hen to the floor, you could give those eggs back to her after you are sure she's serious about staying (let her sit on fake eggs until you are sure).

Or you could let those eggs hatch in the incubator, then slip the chicks under her at night for her to raise. Many hens will accept chicks that way.

Either way, if she raises the chicks from that first batch of eggs, she doesn't have to stay on the nest for an extra-long time.