Is it too late for my broody Buff Orpington to set on hatching eggs?? She's been broody for a few da

[BuffBeck]

Hi from BuffBeck!

Here's a good question for all you hatching experts :

So what if your Buff Orpington is Broody agian, and this time you want to put some fertile hatching eggs unde her... but she's been broody for a couple of days?

I guess my Q is, do broody mamas go off their internal clock to stop brooding (after chicks are hatched), or do they feel the chicks hatching one by one underneath them and them get up? If my Chook has allready been setting for a couple of days, would she get up to early and let the eggs get cold?

What do you guys think??

Thank you,
BuffBeck ♥

 

[pgrommesh]

I put fertile eggs under my Broody after 5 days and she sat on them for 22 before they hatched, and continued to keep them warm for 3 weeks after hatch. My only experience - I'd go for it, but YMMV.

 

[The Chicken Boy]

Hi from BuffBeck!

Here's a good question for all you hatching experts :

So what if your Buff Orpington is Broody agian, and this time you want to put some fertile hatching eggs unde her... but she's been broody for a couple of days?

I guess my Q is, do broody mamas go off their internal clock to stop brooding (after chicks are hatched), or do they feel the chicks hatching one by one underneath them and them get up? If my Chook has allready been setting for a couple of days, would she get up to early and let the eggs get cold?

What do you guys think??

Thank you,
BuffBeck ♥

It depends on the hen... really... Some hens give up easily and don't make good mamas when raising chicks and others are experts. If she is left for a couple of days and then allowed to hatch them, she should be okay. I left my broody bantam hen for a week and a half and she stayed determined and hatched them out herself! The hens communicate with their eggs (believe it or not) and they know what is going on and if anything is happening. If they decide to get off mid-hatch, quickly move the eggs to an incubator. I don't think she would though! Hope this helps!

 

[BuffBeck]

Thank you, fellow chicken lovers!! Good info.

 

[BuffBeck]

Thank you, above. I rated your content very useful.
Anybody else ever experience this late hatching thing? I love to get as many opinions as possible.