- Oct 9, 2012
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One of my hens went broody and I wanted to make sure she was a good brooder so I didn't touch or mess to much with her for a little under 2 weeks. I forgot to mark for some of the days (It's my first time and really didn't know what I was doing). Well today was one of the 1st days I was able to see the entire egg collection. The bantam had 20+ eggs under her. So I took the biggest (of both bantam and standerd sized eggs), warmest, and cleanest and placed them and her into her new nest on the ground. I put about 12 eggs under her in case of duds the other eggs I tossed. she had the clutch in the main raised nest box. Tomorrow I plan on candling them I didn't want to do it tonight because I had already messed with her enough. My probelm is what if the eggs are of different ages I know it would only be a few days but still. How long will she sit on the clutch after/if one/any of the eggs hatch. Note I don't have an incubator and don't really want to raise chicks myself with winter coming, but I figured if the hen does go broody she may go broody agian in spring and hatch me new spring chicks. Please respond ASAP. Thanks
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when your eggs start to hatch the babies still need the heat from their mothers for quite a long time so she will stay sitting on eggs for quite a while after the first ones have hatched. We have had a hen hatch out babies one week apart on her first clutch as she pinched another chooks egg that we hadnt noticed. 
Good luck and I hope this helps
