Questions about broody hen

[feldon]

My buff went broody about a week ago. I was going to try the golf ball trick under her today, but a neighbor came up with fertile eggs. Here are my questions...
1)...4 of the eggs were in their fridge so are cold, will they still hatch?
2)...Does the sitting hen still lay while sitting on a clutch?
3)...Should I separate her from the rest of the flock?
4)...How long till hatch?

Pretty basic questions, but this is a first for me.

 

[joannamarie]

it usually takes 21 days to hatch can be early from day 19 or a few days later
a hen will only lay more eggs in her clutch if she feels she hasnt enough
im not sure about eggs being in fridge its supposed to stop anything developing how long was the eggs in the fridge it might be worth a try
i have a hen sitting on eggs for the first time not hatched any before but found out all information from internet its day 19 yet nothing as yet but i candled them on day 8 looked to be developing

 

[joannamarie]

oh i missed the seperation from rest of flock bit i have with my hen as i had a part time broody stealing the eggs
but you are supposed to anyway as sometimes apparently dont know for sure as this is my first time hatching but the other hens can kill the chicks i would have thought that the mother hen wouldnt let that happen as i nearly lost my hand when i candled the eggs but to be safe i will move mine when they hatch and not let them back with the rest
dont move her nest though seperate her off where she is with wire mesh or something anything that other hens cant get to her as apparently the hen will go off being broody if you move her eggs i have seen this too on forums where they have moved the broody hen pleased i didnt when they hatch and dry you can then move hen and chicks to small run with a house

 

[panner123]

Let the eggs set out at room temperture for a while, before you put them under the hen. You can trick any hen into brooding by using a golf ball or what I like to use are plastic Easter eggs. They seem to work better for me. Most eggs hatch at 21 days, some a day or two one way or the other.

 

[tiffanyh]

I would separate her. Fertile eggsa re precious-ecspecially once you devote your time and excitement into them-the other chickens could harm them. One of mine actually pecked one open.

Good luck.

 

[joannamarie]

i have 3 hens one broody and the other hen didnt peck the eggs open but kept stealing the broody hens eggs even though she was getting pecked to bits for nicking them then she would sit for five minutes then couldnt be bothered and got off so i seperated the broody where she was there and then my broody is at 20 days at 3pm the suspense is killing me

 

[feldon]

I managed to get some fertile eggs to put under her. She took to them right away and has been sitting on them happily for three days now. Fingers crossed.
feldon

 

[feldon]

How long can a broody hen be off her nest & eggs? I was gone all day yesterday. I checked the coop before I left & everything was A.O.K When I got home in the late afternoon, my broody was off her nest & into another one. No eggs under her, but the fertile ones were cold. I put them back under her. Checked her today & so far she has kept sitting on them. What do you think?
feldon

 

[joannamarie]

it is the first time i have hatched chicks with my hen but she left her 3 eggs to go stone cold on day 2, and they developed 2 hatched out healthy the other one got cold after the 2 hatched.
she had pushed it out and it went cold, that chick died before hatch at late stage.