Should I leave the fake eggs with my broody hen.

[GraduallyGreen]

Hi all,

I am new to this site so please let me know if I am out of line or should look elsewhere as this has already been answered.

Recently, my oldest hen caught sight of 1/2 dozen 2 week old chicks we recently hatched using an incubator. Ever since she has been broody: collecting the fake eggs and sitting on them.

We are going on a short holiday for a week and I don't know if I should take her off the fake eggs or leave her on them. She has recently been very aggressive toward two new point of lay girls and being broody has stopped all this. If I take the eggs off her is she likely to revert to this aggressive behaviour.

Also, I would like to give her some fertilised eggs when we get back if she is still broody. Do hens stop sitting at 3 weeks if the eggs don't hatch or will they sit indefinitely? I think she will accept new eggs without issue as my 5 year olds put extra "play" eggs under her a couple of days after she started sitting and she took to them without issue.

Your help and advice is very much appreciated

 

[sumi]

Welcome to BYC

Once some hens are committed to being broody will sit and sit and sit… I've seen a hen sit for 3 months once, but that is really not ideal. If possible you should get some fertile eggs under as soon as you can, as being broody is quite hard on them physically and it's better not to drag the process out too long. She will take care of the eggs and only need to have a supply of feed and water available when she gets up off the nest.