HOW LONG WILL A HEN SET ON EGGS?

[mark3208]

I removed some unfertile eggs from under a game hen that went broody,and replaced them with some fertile ones,in the hope that she will hatch them.she has been missing for a few days ,so im wondering if she will stay on long enough to hatch them?

 

[77horses]

mm...I don't think she has excepted them. She is probably off somewhere sitting on some other eggs right now!

Sneaky little hen! LOL

Probably made her own little nest somewhere and hid the eggs so you can't take them.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
My dad had a game hen that sat on unfertile eggs for 3 weeks...then more unfertile eggs for 3 more weeks...then dad threw all the rest of the eggs away. She went back to setting on an empty nest. Dad felt sorry for her, put a dummy egg in the nest and bought her some babies. I wouldn't worry too much, game hens are excellent mamas!

 

[mark3208]

Thanks shelley, she is gonna be a very good mama if she brings them to term,she took an awful lotta hide from my hand while i was putting the new eggs under her.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Yeah that's why I don't candle my hens eggs, and have my dad do any egg adding, or chick adding. I am a 'big chicken' when it comes to being pecked!! I have one banty hen, that would screech at you if you got too close to her nest. Her chicks are so small (at <1 week old) they can get through the 1" chicken wire. I have it barricaded, but one still found it's way out earlier. I picked it up, opened the door to put it back in, and she almost got me when she saw the chick in my hand!! And she is only about 7-8 months old herself!! Who says pullets don't make good mamas??

 

[silkiechicken]

Some hens will set on a nest till they die, literally. Each hen is a bit different but I limit the seting time because I don't want them to become too skinny while setting.

 

[mark3208]

thanks all ,i appreciate the help.

 

[magikchick]

My cochin hen set on any empty nest for a month. I gave up and put 2 eggs under her when I put some in the bator. We are both on day 12.