Too late in the season to give a broody hen fertilized eggs?

[PulpoGordo]

I have always done this in the spring ... Ms Specklepants has been broody for a week and I've been trying to persuade her out of this state (already have 7 hens and not really looking to grow the flock), but it is breaking my heart to see her perseverance and I'm starting to be inclined to help her realize her motherhood dream. But I have a couple questions:

1. Since she's already been broody for a week +, will she stop setting in two weeks? So if I were to give her some fertilized eggs today, would they get half-baked and then abandoned?

2. And is it too late in the season to do this safely?

Thank you so much for any wisdom you can impart.

 

[Top Rooster]

No she most likely sit weeks after three weeks, broody hens are determined hens unless their non broody breeds. No it isn't too late in the season, I had a hen hatch chicks in October and they'll cover their chicks if they get cold. They did just fine. Mom kept them all war,.

 

[PulpoGordo]

Thank you so much! I appreciate your super prompt reply.

 

[TeeMom]

I have a broody on a few eggs right now. They are due to hatch in a week or so now, but had she gone broody today, I still would have given them to her. We still have lots of warm weather ahead of us here in Kansas, but I had a hen hatch a clutch this past March when we still had very cold, winter-like weather and she and the chicks all did great! They are amazing mommas!

 

[Ridgerunner]

1. Since she's already been broody for a week +, will she stop setting in two weeks? So if I were to give her some fertilized eggs today, would they get half-baked and then abandoned?

You are dealing with living animals so anything is possible. But when a hen goes broody I normally wait a few days before giving her eggs, partly to see that she is serious about being broody and partly just to gather all the eggs I wan tot give her. I've never had a hen quit at three or four weeks unless I break her from being broody or she hatches chicks.

2. And is it too late in the season to do this safely?

I have no idea where you are located so I don't know your climate or even if you are north or south of the equator. Putting a general location in your profile can help with things like that. But there are threads on here where a hen has hatched in the middle of winter, one of them in Michigan so it was regularly below freezing. She kept her chicks warm and raised them. The more severe the weather the higher the risk, what would be an inconvenience in good weather may become life-threatening in really severe weather, but most hens can handle it.

For what it is worth I'm giving eggs to someone tomorrow to put under her broody. September and even October usually aren't usually that bad here so I anticipate they will do great.

 

[Lizardlicks]

Knowing your area and weather patterns is really what it's all about. My EE just went broody so I gave her a dozen hatching eggs. Chicks should hatch out before the end of the month and they'll be well feathered before the truly cold weather starts to set in around October.