Week 4, still broody

[TTFarm]

Hi everyone!
I really need some advice. Our hen has been broody for four weeks now. She hatched out a chick last weekend but seemed to attack it. I tried to save it but think it was hurt. Because I read to give 24 hours for eggs to hatch, we did that. A day or so later, we candled and got rid of obviously bad ones. Some looked close so I felt like, give her till the weekend. Well, we have no chicks.
Do I go to tractor supply and stick 6 chicks under her in the middle of the night?
Do I remove all eggs and “break” her broodiness?
We would love to have a hen hatch out chicks. It hurts my heart to think chicks are nearly ready and I chuck them. I would feel beyond horrible if she decided to attack the chicks from the store. I also worry about her health going this long!

 

[sourland]

Were all eggs set at the same time? If so, I would break her broodiness and later give her one more try. I would not try to foster chicks to her at this point.

 

[azygous]

If you can be sure that the eggs still under the broody have been there since the first day she began to sit, then they are not going to hatch. If, however, other hens have had access to this nest and could have laid eggs in it, then it's still possible that there are viable eggs.

But, I'm in agreement with my friend George. Time to end this foolishness and kick her off the nest. After four weeks, the hen's health could be getting seriously eroded. And since it's gone this long, I would skip the store bought chicks unless you really need chicks now and are ready to brood them yourself.

 

[TTFarm]

The first batch was not all laid at the same time. I finally realized an australorp was hopping and adding to the original clutch. When we candles them, we marked those that looked like they had potential and have been removing the others. However, it looked as if the eggs we put back were in various stages.

 

[azygous]

Your broody after four weeks has reached a point where she needs to get back to normal or risk death from starvation. You need to break her for her health unless you don't mind losing her. Three weeks is pushing it, and four weeks is downright dangerous.

 

[Yardmom]

I'm going to disagree with the previous poster. Hens bodies are designed to set on the eggs for 3 weeks, but they don't die of starvation if they go longer when they have access to good food and water. Restarts, putting duck eggs under chickens, and waiting a week for fertile eggs to be available are quite common in a backyard flock. Do your best to determine the health of your hen and the days until the eggs will hatch (or determine no more will). I would not get foster chicks for this hen since she attacked the first chick.