Wanting to hatch from my remaining hens

[Hoosierchickens]

I'm hoping for some advice here. Last Friday, sadly, we lost 7 of our eleven chickens to the neighbors dog including our one rooster. We have four healthy but traumatized hens left. Only two of the four appear to be laying. They are 7 months old and have been laying since August. What is the likelihood of the remaining hens laying fertilized eggs, going broody, and hatching any eggs at this point in the game? One of the hens acts interested and is spending more time on the nest than the others warming what eggs have been laid but still spends a good deal of time off the nest. Any thoughts or advice? Is there any hope or do I need to resolve to purchasing more chicks in the coming Spring?

 

[LarryPQ]

If you want chickies from your lost flock, pull the eggs out of the fridge and collect from those that are laying. If your rooster was mating the hens, then you have ~2 weeks to collect fertile eggs. You can put what you have now in an incubator, and then a second batch later.

If you don't have an incubator, or a broody bird, then it is unlikely your 7-month-olds will go broody in the fall.

Unless they are silkies, who go broody at the drop of a hat.

 

[cmom]

I agree. The hens will be fertile for 2 to 3 weeks.