Sitting Hen

[Henniezues]

Helllo!!

My hen has been sitting for 23 days now and has 3 eggs left she sitting on and I just noticed one is actually stuck in her breast feathers. She’s still pretty broody but is eating and coming out every couple days to roam the yard. What should I do? I feel like she is going to sit until something happens! Should I get her more fertile eggs or try to get the ones she’s laying on. She also keeps taking our other hens eggs if I don’t get them first and we don’t have a rooster! Thank you for any suggestions

I did reach out to several places to see if anyone had any baby chicks to put under her but haven’t had any success

 

[Naser]

Put her in a broody cage

 

[Henniezues]

Thank you, I have a cage I just hate to do that if there’s another option-thank you!

 

[aart]

Did any of the eggs hatch, I assume you got her some fertile eggs and have removed any other laid, or stolen and stashed, in her nest?
Did you candle the eggs at any point to see if they were developing?

I'd break her, they can lose condition if allowed to set too long.

 

[Henniezues]

Only 1 hatched too early Yes I put 9 fertile eggs under her from a friend with hens and a rooster.
I did not candle them throughout the 3 weeks
Do you recommend putting her in a cage as well?
Thank you

 

[aart]

Do you recommend putting her in a cage as well?

It's the fastest way to go, which in my mind is the 'kindest' in the long run.
It may take longer to break her as she's been setting for 3 weeks.

My experience went like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest, I put her in a wire dog crate with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop with feed and water.

I used to let them out a couple times a day, but now just once a day in the evening(you don't have to) and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two. Or take her out of crate daily very near roosting time(30-60 mins) if she goes to roost great, if she goes to nest put her back in crate.

 

[Henniezues]

Thank you! I’ll start that this evening-we don’t generally pet or pick up the hens bc they are a little skid dish but we’ll do our best-I appreciate the help!