How long will she sit?

[cackleberryandco]

I don’t know if this is the right thread for this so my apologies if it isn’t.

I have a hen who went broody 9 days ago, she’s been sitting on non fertilized eggs and I keep taking them but she continues to sit, if I were to give her fertilized eggs now, would she restart her timer and sit for the full 21 (or whatever) days or will she give up halfway and not sit the whole time? I hope this makes sense. Let me know thanks!

 

[sourland]

She may very well set an additional 21 days, but there is the possibility that she might not. Keep her nest free of mites, and make sure that she is drinking and eating daily and you will increase the chances of success.

 

[Ridgerunner]

She doesn't have a timer. You are dealing with a living animal so you get no guarantees, she may break from being broody any time before three weeks. But most broody hens will incubate the eggs long enough to hatch turkey or ducks eggs, and they take longer than chicken eggs. It sometime takes me a week to collect enough hatching eggs to put under a broody hen and she still hatches them.

If you really want her to hatch chicks I'd put the fertile eggs under her and expect her to hatch them.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Let me know thanks!

Another option to not extend or depend on the entire brooding period is adopting hatchery or feed store chicks to her, even sexed if preferred.

Tucking them under her at night so she feels them moving and hears them peeping.. surprise!



Or also, if you don't want chicks and would prefer she "breaks" the broody spell.. then many of us use a (elevated without bedding) dog kennel or other means to lock them out of the nest.. which they will try desperately to get back to.. before finally giving up a few days into the tantrum. Some hens will sit relentlessly.. and most care NOT that you've removed all the eggs.. they will brood air..