Question regarding Broody Hen and setting eggs under her

[farnorth]

Hi, I have a question about my Broody Orpington Hen. She about 2 years old and goes broody 3 or 4 times a year.
Last June I put chicks under her after she had been broody for only about a week and she took them like they were her own. Later a weasel got all the little one (well we think it was a weasel) so that ended that and our next chicks were raised in a brooder box we built.

So she is broody again right now and has been broody for about 2 weeks at least. Not needing any chickens badly enough to spend money on mail order chicks and local feed store won't have chicks for about a month. Thought we would try giving her fertile eggs.

I know chicks would work after her being broody for 2 weeks already but my Question is....... Is it too late to put some fertile eggs under her? I never took notes on how long she stayed broody because I usually discourage her from being broody as she keeps the other hens out of their favorite next box.

Is it possible she would stick with the eggs for another 3 weeks? Right now I put her into my Brooder box/cage with 8 golf balls she is happily sitting on and she has food and water though I have not seen her get up to eat or drink.

A local person says they will give me some eggs for her to set on. Problem is he only just got his rooster 6 days ago and I've been waiting a few days so his hens eggs will become fertile. If I wait any longer I think I will have waited too long....but I also wonder if his hens will be laying fertile eggs yet?

Any suggestions appreciated.

I was going to go get some of his eggs today....is it too late for my broody and/or is is too early for his hens eggs to be fertile?

Thanks in advance.

 

[forgetful]

It's really up to the broody. Some broodies won't be broken until something hatches under them, and others give up. I THINK the eggs should be fertile by now, so I would personally get a few and put them under her. If she gives up, she gives up. There's really no way to tell, besides trying to break her and seeing how resistant she is.

Edit: I double checked, and the next egg after mating is fertile, so you should be good to go.

 

[farnorth]

She is usually a very stubborn broody I usually have to literally have locked her out of the coop to break her and she'll just go get broody in the hay shed. But I also always took the eggs away except for the time I gave her chicks. So not sure how long she will go when I actually give her a quiet spot and eggs and leave her be. Guess I will just have to find out.

I have 2 local guys who have some fertile eggs for me I found them on FB, just barnyard mixes..... getting them to actually meet me and let me have the eggs is proving somewhat difficult.....sigh....I wanted to do it today....

 

[sepaditty1]

You could go to Trader Joe's & buy some fertile eggs.

 

[farnorth]

I live in a really small town and I don't think I've ever even seen a trader Joes in 100 miles of here.