Will broody hen stay on nest if all eggs don't hatch together?

[luluvantuckett]

Howdy all!!
My Buff Orpington is broody and this is my first experience with brooding. The other girls continued to lay in the box for a couple of days before someone told me to mark the ones to hatch. So there are two eggs that started the brooding process 1-2 days after the other 3. Five total. I candled them on day 10 and they're all fertile. When/if the first 3 hatch will she stay on the nest for the other two? Or should I prepare to take over? If so I'll need to build a bigger nesting box cause I can't fit in hers. Hehe.
They should start hatching tomorrow!

Also... I wanted to throw in a fascinating tidbit of info I read for anyone who didn't know.
One mating for an average hen can fertilize just more than a week’s worth of eggs.
The hen stores the sperm in a special section of the oviduct for several days. So I'm not surprised all those eggs were fertile! Had to share

 

[cppeace]

usually A broody hen stays on the nest for a day or two after the first egg hatches. and yep good info :0)

 

[chickinnkeeper]

I too am having my first eggs hatch. Have one chick this morning. Yay! The nesting box is a litter box. How soon does the chicks need food and water and will they be able to get in and out or do I need to move them.

 

[cppeace]

Um most can go 24-48 hours without food and you prolly will have to help them out if it's more than an inch or so deep

 

[luluvantuckett]

My nesting box is a covered litter box also! It works great! And that's a good question.
My husband and I are in the process of building another coop so Daisy and her chicks can take the smaller A-frame that they're all in now. We should have the rest of the flock moved in to the new one by the end of the day.

 

[chickinnkeeper]

Thanks, I'm new to chickens and am a nervous mom. Besides jumping up and down and taking pics I have no idea what to do! Haha. Thai site has been amazing and such great people on it. Thank you!

 

[MysteriaSdrassa]

Buff Orpys are excelent broody mothers and you should have no problem with her staying till she is sure all that will hatch are hatched.
If I could, I would also add to your tidbit of info, that one mating with a rooster can in actuality fertilize eggs for up to 3 weeks,, sometimes even 4 or longer depending on potency and several other factors
And as pointed out chicks can go up to 3 days without food or water,, but if you can,, try to get them water as soon as possible. Putting a small waterer within easy reach of the broody hens is ideal if you can,, the new hatchlings will dart out from the mother if she is still setting to get water and back under her.
Good luck and congrats

 

[luluvantuckett]

Buff Orpys are excelent broody mothers and you should have no problem with her staying till she is sure all that will hatch are hatched.
If I could, I would also add to your tidbit of info, that one mating with a rooster can in actuality fertilize eggs for up to 3 weeks,, sometimes even 4 or longer depending on potency and several other factors
And as pointed out chicks can go up to 3 days without food or water,, but if you can,, try to get them water as soon as possible. Putting a small waterer within easy reach of the broody hens is ideal if you can,, the new hatchlings will dart out from the mother if she is still setting to get water and back under her.
Good luck and congrats

Holy

!!!! Up to 4 weeks!!! That's wild!! Thanks for the info!!! I'm super excited. I'm getting things ready now so I'll follow your advice