How long will my broody hen be broody?

[AnnieSantiago]

I have a hen who began brooding about a week ago.
I would like to put some fertile eggs under her, but the lady giving me the eggs won't have them collected til the end of the week.
So that means when I put the eggs under the hen, she will have been broody about 10 days already.

Do you think this will work?
I hate to pay $30 for eggs (4 French Black Copper Marans, 4 Ameraucanas, 4 olive-egg layers) if she won't sit long enough to hatch them.

I need some feedback/advice from experienced folks.

Thanks.

 

[chickenychicken]

Some of my hens go broody even though we don't have a rooster. They stay broody for about 2-3 weeks sometimes more or less. She will probably stay broody since chickens stay broody for a while. When you give her the eggs she will most likely stay on them since she will know there's chicks in them.

 

[MadamPoofyBrow]

I've had hens stay broody for months without stopping. After they get the eggs, I've never had one quit. What breed is she? Silkies and Cochins are very dependable IME, but I'm sure others are good too.
After she has eggs she whould follow through, hens aren't easily broken from broodiness. Good luck!

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

You should be fine. I have a "3 day/night" test I use on my broodies to be sure they are serious before I even think of giving them eggs (for those that I am giving eggs to vs. them just up and setting their own clutch and even after that it can take me a few days to get eggs together to put under them so 7-10 days has happened in our flock before and I've yet to have a broody abandon an entire clutch prior to the expected hatch date.

 

[AnnieSantiago]

Thanks.
She is a barred Plymouth Rock.
A real sweet little hen.

My daughter has a broody hen who ruffles up and growls, which is hilarious because she used to be like a dog, so tame!

I was curious if we could move her broody hen to my house without upsetting the cycle?

 

[pdirt]

If your hen is "serious broody" then moving her to another location is very unlikely to phase her. At least that has been my experience. Try it now before getting the eggs. That said, do you have an incubator set up and ready go should your broody change her mind? I doubt you will need it, but it would be a good safeguard.

 

[MadamPoofyBrow]

I ALWAYS move my broodies to a different pen. They live in various coops, but when they go brrody they always move to my totally snake proof hutch. Adter a snake ate over half my Paint Silkie's clutch, I've never left them alone again. After a BUNCH of broodies, only one has ever abandoned her eggs. I just put them in the incubator, and figured she wouldn't have made a great mom any way if she had hatched them.
So, she should be fine. If they're broody, they're usually determined to hatch some chicks.
Good luck!