How long can a hen sit on eggs?

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barneyowl

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How long can a hen sit on eggs?
« on: July 14, 2007, 11:12 »
My dear chook has sat very devoutly on her seven eggs for 23 days now and there is no sign of any baby chooks yet.  I was away last week (husband took care of animals) so I have not done any candling or anything like that so I dont know even if they are fertilized.  although Lorenzo (cockrell) is a very active kinda chappie.  She is fiercely protective of her eggs and I dont really know what to do.  How long do I leave her because I have heard that they will sit forever as long as there are eggs there.  I will be SO disappointed for her if there are no offspring. :?
who cares wins

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mercury

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How long can a hen sit on eggs?
« Reply #1 on: July 14, 2007, 13:21 »
I would give her till tomorrow barneyowl, then i would take her off, its very doubtful that their going to hatch, sorry. :cry:

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barneyowl

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How long can a hen sit on eggs?
« Reply #2 on: July 14, 2007, 13:35 »
Thankyou Mercury.  Is it likely that non of the eggs are ferilized or are there other reasons they  would not hatch?  I know she has sat solidly for three weeks. :roll:

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mercury

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How long can a hen sit on eggs?
« Reply #3 on: July 14, 2007, 21:20 »
If they are fertile, they could be whats known as dead in shell, break them open when you take them out, but stand back when you do, they could explode, and the smell is awful :wink:

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sooty

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How long can a hen sit on eggs?
« Reply #4 on: July 14, 2007, 22:15 »
i have some eggs due to hatch (my first time)( 20 days today) and i could hear them chirpping inside the shell,hope this is a good thing, but it does mean they are alive i suppose

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barneyowl

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How long can a hen sit on eggs?
« Reply #5 on: July 14, 2007, 22:46 »
Thankyou for your replies and I am now not expecting them to hatch but I am still a bit confused as to why they should ALL be "duff".  I thought by the law of averages I should have got one or two? they were eggs from several hens, collected and put under broody on the day they were laid..  What has gone wrong?  Any answers anybody? :cry:

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calli

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How long can a hen sit on eggs?
« Reply #6 on: July 15, 2007, 11:37 »
As was saifd earlier break them open to see if they have developed at all - at least if they are developed Lorenzo is safe from the pot! :wink:

Sooty - take care hatching chicks is very addictive - I am founder member of Poultry Anon :lol:

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barneyowl

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How long can a hen sit on eggs?
« Reply #7 on: July 15, 2007, 13:22 »
Well, the deed is done.  I have removed the eggs from under Clarice and set her free with her girlfriends (and Lorenzo) :D   She has bee scoffing for England and does not appear to mind one tiny bit to be relieved of impending motherhood.  Just the occasional circuit of the maternity ward as if she has forgotten something
The eggs.  They were all duff. :cry:  I broke all seven to check and they were all the same,  smelly coloured liquid.  What if anything does this tell me for the future?  Is Lorenzo not quite the stud he think he is ? is it just bad luck? what can I do to safeguard against it happening again? :?  :oops:  :?:

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alan42

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How long can a hen sit on eggs?
« Reply #8 on: July 15, 2007, 18:16 »
sounds like he is firing blanks lol  have you hatched any chicks of him in the past if not then he is probably infertile and no good his fate is in your hands.
alan

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barneyowl

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How long can a hen sit on eggs?
« Reply #9 on: July 15, 2007, 18:27 »
No I have not hatched any chicks from Lorenzo or any other. :oops:   New to this breeding game I am afraid, hence all the questions.  Lorenzo`s fate is quite secure.  He is about three yrs old and we have had him since a chick when all his  "wives" were fully grown and gave him a helluva hard time.  He has since had his own back with them but apparantly not completely.  Poor fellow.  In the future I will probable get fertilized eggs in when I get another broody.  At least they wont be his children and they can all stay as a happy family. :)

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Gardening Mark

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How long can a hen sit on eggs?
« Reply #10 on: July 17, 2007, 13:22 »
Barneyowl I would read this first b4 you do anything  with Lorenzo..... I had a chicken sit for 3 and a half weeks on 10 eggs. Nothing hatched, all dudd eggs, so I took her off. I thought nooooo Elvis(my cockerel) is infertile. While that was going on I was leaving eggs in another nest to encourage another to clock/cluck/brood for me, and the one I took off started again the following day. After getting advice from Alan42 I left her to sit again.She sat for over 3 and a half weeks on 10 eggs and she got 5 chicks. While that was going on I had another started when the first one first started and she hatched 6 out of 6, but really late 4 or 5 days over.  So this year all of mine, and another lad I know who had 2 hens sitting, their chicks came 4 - 5 days late. Anyway I had another start brooding and let her sit on roughly 10 eggs and nothing. There were 2 dead chicks inside of them, the rest stinky watery stuff. But the 2 that died I heard cheeping the day b4 but never made it, and they cheeped 4 or 5 days late. I do not know why this happened, maybe improper storage of eggs to be used, carelessness handling them etc. or even it being too cold or hot under the hen. I would not say that it is definatley your Cockerals fault, I thought the same about mine, but when I tried again I got a result.  I also had eggs in an incubator, 14 the first time and I got 1 chick, its a hen wehey. I tried again right away this time with 7 eggs and I got 2 but one had bad foot and had to be put down. The one that survived had a crack in its egg from my 2 yr old daughter from week 2 and its always been fine, that one is also a hen. Good luck if you ever try this again, but plz give Lorenzo another chance......

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barneyowl

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How long can a hen sit on eggs?
« Reply #11 on: July 17, 2007, 17:45 »
Thankyou Mark for your words of encouragement. (I am sure Lorenzo would want to thankyou too  :!: ) I may try with him again but at the moment I feel quite dispirited by our recent loss, pathetic I know, but hey ho.  Lorenzo will definitely live out his life with us in the luxury to which he has become accustomed fertile or not.  And... who knows what the future holds.  He MAY yet become a daddy one day. :o

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sooty

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How long can a hen sit on eggs?
« Reply #12 on: August 04, 2007, 13:36 »
well just back from hols 5 out of my 6 eggs hatched just before i went away and are good and healthy 2 wyandottes and 3 leghorns.
I put another 10 eggs under a large sussex before i went away and they all hatched thursday and friday exactley 19 and 20 days. 2 wyandottes and 8 leghorns. 1 of the leghorns is a bit weak and was being trampled so it is at home with me and getting stronger by the hour.
Not bad for my second try

stuck this message on the wrong post :!:

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barneyowl

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How long can a hen sit on eggs?
« Reply #13 on: August 04, 2007, 14:36 »
Well... I KNOW you didn`t REALLY want to rub my nose in it :cry:
But Congratulations and well done.  It gives me a BIT of encouragement :roll:



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