Placing fertile eggs under a hen that's already been broody for two weeks?

[EggSighted4Life]

I have had them sit that long with no problem as long as they are taking care of them selves like eating and drinking every 2 to 3 days but 5 weeks is about it.

I would never let a bird go 2-3 days without eating... I boot them daily, if I haven't seen them out... check how their crop is feeling to see if they have been out and I just didn't see it, make sure they are still moving.... interacting with flock members and not acting off.

 

[Ashleybess]

Thanks everyone! No, I do not have an incubator but I'm thinking of investing in one.

I'm not sure what to do now. I may wait a week and see what happens. She is still eating and drinking normally.

 

[EggWalrus]

Thanks everyone! No, I do not have an incubator but I'm thinking of investing in one.

I'm not sure what to do now. I may wait a week and see what happens. She is still eating and drinking normally.

One other thing you can do is go to Rural King or Tractor Supply and buy her some babies to raise. I wouldn't get her more than about 6 if shes a first time Momma.
This way she get the fulfillment of getting to raise babies after sitting that long, and you can add some variety to your flock with other breeds you find interesting. Just wait till dark, and when she's asleep, just slip them under her.
She'll be a happy birdie come the morning!

 

[Ashleybess]

One other thing you can do is go to Rural King or Tractor Supply and buy her some babies to raise. I wouldn't get her more than about 6 if shes a first time Momma.
This way she get the fulfillment of getting to raise babies after sitting that long, and you can add some variety to your flock with other breeds you find interesting. Just wait till dark, and when she's asleep, just slip them under her.
She'll be a happy birdie come the morning!

That is a really good idea! Call me sentimental but I do feel for the broody hens... and I want them to be "fulfilled"! I just wish Tractor Supply et al had more exotic breeds. It's definitely worth going to look! And even if it's a plain ole 'boring' breed at least she'd have her babies

 

[L1sa]

That is a really good idea! Call me sentimental but I do feel for the broody hens... and I want them to be "fulfilled"! I just wish Tractor Supply et al had more exotic breeds. It's definitely worth going to look! And even if it's a plain ole 'boring' breed at least she'd have her babies

I did exactly that with my broody lady last week, she'd sat for 4 weeks in total (1 week with no eggs, 3 weeks with fertile eggs) wasn't sure any of her eggs were going to hatch so I bought her 4 x day old chicks from a local farm and surreptitiously got them under her at night. She was a happy mumma. Then the next day one of her own eggs hatched. So she now has 5 happy babies.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Thanks everyone! No, I do not have an incubator but I'm thinking of investing in one.

I'm not sure what to do now. I may wait a week and see what happens. She is still eating and drinking normally.

I love adopting babies to mum's.

After waiting a week... you may still need to break her.

If I didn't need 6 I certainly wouldn't give her that many, which I know was suggested as a max. I will suggest a minimum of 2, but I like 3 better usually. 6 days old is the VERY max I have been successful with. After that the chicks are just too mobile and don't care to listen to a hen in my experience. And know that "day old" chicks at farm stores were a day old when they shipped not when they arrived.

 

[L1sa]

Thanks everyone! No, I do not have an incubator but I'm thinking of investing in one.

I'm not sure what to do now. I may wait a week and see what happens. She is still eating and drinking normally.

Hey there,

How are things going? What did you decide to do in the end?

 

[Ashleybess]

Hey there,

How are things going? What did you decide to do in the end?

Well, I did end up putting several eggs that I hoped were fertile under her (although my friend told me after the fact a few of the eggs she gave me she found in her barn and they could be old while the others were fresh from the coop - I had already placed a few of the eggs under her and put the rest in our countertop basket. I had no idea which was which - would have been nice to have that info beforehand!). I candled the eggs on day 9 after placing them under her and one definitely has a baby growing in it!!!! I was overjoyed. We're now on day 12 and she's happy to continue sitting though still getting up occasionally to eat and drink.

I was going to go to the Tractor Supply swap this morning to see if there were any tiny chicks, but I'm afraid if I try that now she won't finish sitting on the eggs. Also the friend who passed along her potentially fertile eggs said she had a disastrous experience trying that - the hen killed the chick placed under her almost immediately. But it's encouraging to know it has worked for others... the problem is the Tractor Supply swap is only once a month so it's kinda now or never. I don't know... if I place the chicks under her won't she give up sitting by the time that egg would hatch? Also there might not even be any chicks available...

 

[L1sa]

Yes she would. If the eggs are only on day 12 and you give mum day old chicks, the max she would stay sitting is 3 maybe 4 days, and at that point the chicks would be needing to get up and about and she would go with them abandoning any eggs still left.

I guess now your choices are, 1) allow her to finish this clutch. 2) give her baby chicks and remove the eggs once she has abandoned them.

Tough choices.

Good luck, I hope she stays focussed.

 

[Ashleybess]

Day 13 and still broody! I think we are going to have to move her though. I'm a bit afraid to because of the possibility of breaking the broody "spell", but she keeps switching laying boxes. I don't believe this is due to immaturity, as someone commented earlier, but being bullied out of the box - there is always another hen sitting on her eggs when this happens. So I simply move her eggs, including the precious one I know is fertile and growing, back under her, which she's fine with - she tucks them back under her and keeps on keepin' on! But although admittedly I've had to mess with her eggs way more than I should have, I haven't physically moved *her*. I'm wary because the only other time we physically moved a broody hen (she'd made a nest outside the pen and was vulnerable to predators) it broke her broodiness immediately. But at this point it's either move her or go back and check every hour to make sure she's still on her eggs We have six laying boxes for twenty two hens. Oh why do they have to take hers?!

I suppose we'll try tonight? I'm sure there's plenty of info on here on moving a broody!