How long will broody last?

[Mister B]

I have a hen that has gone broody, about 2 weeks ago. She won't leave her nest box. I assume she gets out and eats/drinks when I'm not looking. I don't have a problem with this and don't care to break her from the broodyness. However, I wonder how long it will last and if her eggs are viable. The rooster was killed about a month before she went broody. Could her eggs still be viable?

 

[gritsar]

There is a slight chance that the eggs are still fertile from your rooster, but probably not.
At this point you have a few options...

Candle the eggs to check for development. I doubt they'll be fertile a month after the rooster is gone, but stranger things have happened.

Break her from her broody. Being broody is hard on their bodies and hens have been known to broody themselves to death. I have one tiny hen that is literally bow legged from being broody non-stop, year-round. She goes broody, I give up trying to break her, I give her eggs. She hatches a batch, kicks them out at six weeks, lays a few (infertile) eggs, goes broody again. I always try to break her, she wins, I give her eggs.

Acquire some fertile eggs for your hen and give them to her. Let her do the rest.

I have another hen that is now in her third month of being broody. She's an 8 lb. brahma, my only adult rooster is a serama that weighs 12 ounces; try as he might, he ain't making the connection. I have tried every single method of breaking her and can't. At this point her health is in danger. I've given up. I am getting her eggs this week.

Good luck, whatever you decide.