New...Broody Hen...Many Questions!

[2bradleys]

I am new to chickens; I just started my chicken collection last Spring with day old's from Ideal Poultry. I currently have 5 hens and a rooster. One of my hens is setting; she's a Salmon Faverolle. Oddly (or oddly to me, at least) she didn't decide to set in the partitioned off area where everyone has been laying since they first started laying. Instead, she has made herself a nest (by way of relocating straw herself) in an area directly opposite the normal nests; protected from the elements, but not boxed in like the regular nesting area. Anyhow...there's a whole bunch of eggs in there. Not sure how many, because we haven't tried getting close enough to count them (don't want to piss anyone off, lol).

I have no clue what to do here. Do I just leave her be? What's the maximum amount of time I should give the eggs to hatch? I read that it takes 21 days...but if 22 days are up and nothing has happened, do I call it done or give it a few more days? What is the success rate for a chicken to hatch eggs herself? What do I do with them if/when they hatch? What do I do with my rooster? Is my rooster being particularly mean because my hen is currently setting? Do you have any other useful information, or answers to questions I've not thought to ask yet? Thank you!!!

 

[ScissorChick]

Alright, it takes 21 days for a chicken egg to hatch.

You start counting days 24 hours after they start incubating. And

they can hatch up to 5-6 days late. I always make SURE mine are dead before

tossing them. Broodys know what they are doing and generally should have a pretty

good success rate, however there are many hens out there that don't do well. So depends

on your hen. I would leave her be. But it's a good idea to seperate them after they hatch so

that none of the other chickens will hurt them. I learned that the hard way. Good luck!

 

[happyhens44]

If you look on my BYC page, and scoll down you will find some info on broodies

 

[airwolf]

chicks take 21 days to hatch