How long will she stay broody?

[chicksgalore]

Hello all! I'm new to this site and have read a lot of helpful info. on here!

I've had a dear little hen (RIR) that has been determined to hatch some eggs. The only problem is, my eggs aren't fertile so I got some from my mom who has a rooster per 4 hens, so after Cleo (my broody hen) tried to sit on my fresh eggs for about a week (I took them out from under her every day), I stuck these "fertile" eggs under her and just like any good mother, she sat there for close to 4 weeks and turns out not a single egg was even fertile (talk about frustrating)!! So, I took all of them out from under her last night (I felt SO bad because she's been sitting up there so long and ended up with nothing!) and today when I went out, where is she but on a nest of today's fresh eggs!

So, I'm wondering, if she'll get over it within the next day or so--I would think she would be getting tired sitting there! Or...do I have time to collect some more "fertile" eggs from my aunt and put them under for yet another 3 weeks??

Have any of you had a similar experience or can you tell me how long to expect her to be broody yet?

 

[LazyGirl]

I am wondering the exact same thing! My aracauna has been on for about 23 days. 1 egg has been a dud, 1 had a chick that died, and I have no idea the rest (we have 1 roo for 25 ladies). I am wondering how long to let her go, too. I now have 3 broody hens! Aggh! I need eggs! I hope they don't all get the same idea...
Good luck!

 

[lauralou]

Hi chicksgalore, and welcome to BYC!

I've never had a similar situation. I have always either had eggs that were definately fertile for my hens to sit on, or I have tried to break them of being broody.

But it seems to me that it can't be healthy for poor Cleo to sit for another 3 weeks. Hens tend to lose weight as they sit, not eating as much as they should. I would try to break her of the broodiness if it were me.

Then again, others may have been through this before and know better than I do. Hopefully someone else with more experience will see your post soon and give you a second opinion.

Good luck, and give Cleo a special treat from me.

 

[kellim]

Okay, my hen may just be weird but she has been broody for almost 2 months! I make her get up everyday and eat and drink and then she goes right back to her nest. Right now she is setting on 7 guinea eggs. Her first set of eggs had a possum get in them and eat most of them and the ones that were left she went to a different spot and abandoned so i put them in the bator, had 3 hatch and now she has stolen the guinea's eggs and is setting on them. She is still healthy as can be but will not break her broodiness. Go figure.....

 

[TheKidAndDame]

One of my Marans has been broody for 4 weeks now. I tried taking her off of the nest and out of the coop to free-range every day. But as soon as her feet would hit the ground she would take off the a rocket back to the nest. Three days ago I gave in and decided I would let her hatch out some chicks. I take food and water up to her everyday but she does not seem interested. She is on a mission. One of my other hens wanted to lay an egg in that nest (it is the one that all of the hens use) and the Marans would not get up. The one actually ended up laying the egg on her back! I am just keeping my fingers crossed that hatching will do the trick and I won't have to deal with another broody hen for at least a few months.

 

[chicksgalore]

Thanks for the replies. I think I will let it go another couple days and see if she gets over it. Her comb and wattles have gotten really pale these past few weeks although I did keep a food and water dish in the box with her and toward the end, she seemed to be eating/drinking more. She does come out of the nest now more than she did when she was on her clutch of eggs. It's like she has to re-establish herself with the rest of the girls now though--they were scrapping quite a bit. She seems very irritable (justifiably so I would say!) and picks on the others quite a bit too.