[caroline800]

Hi

When I went down to check the hens at lunchtime today, one of the girls was sitting in the next box and when I lifted her out she just went out the house had a drink then went back in and into the nest box again, but she wasn't in the box when I went down in the evening.

I was going to ask, if she is sitting how long do I leave it to make sure before putting eggs under her........but looks like it might have been a false alarm?

Any how, just in case - I was thinking that if she was still sitting after a couple of days it might be worth putting eggs under her .....would that be about right?

I have some eggs that are almost two weeks old from my previous cockerel (sadly fox got him and some of the girls  ) and wondered if these may still be viable to try - is there a "sit by date"?

Thanks

[Sassy]

The eggs can be viable up to 20 days however, up to 7 days is usually your best bet re hatching rates

[caroline800]

Thanks Sassy

She doesn't seem to be sitting now, so back to waiting....  

They're laying and new boy in with them so should have some fresh to sit (when......) but would've really liked to hatch some to continue Blue's legacy 

[Beekissed]

You may still get that chance....a hen can store his seed for up to and beyond 30 days past their last breeding.  Most folks advise to wait that long if wanting to breed to another male without the chance of receiving offspring from the former breeder. 

[caroline800]

Thanks Beekissed.....so there's hope,  ....just need a broody now 

[Debz]

Pity you're so far away.  I've got a pekin that's determined to sit and she's got nothing to sit on.

[caroline800]

Yes Debz, shame it's just a little too far 

[Beekissed]

Maybe you could advertise to rent a broody?  Many people out there can't have roosters nor want to have further chickens but are getting broodies all the same.  They are usually looking for ways to stop them from being broody and, quite honestly, the best way to break a broody is giving her something to brood over.  If someone nearby, maybe you could rent, buy or even exchange for a nonbroody hen for a bit so you can get your eggs hatched.

I'm starting to get broodies right now but will likely get even more in May, so if you can wait a bit you may hit the lottery. 

And don't worry too much about the age of eggs if you are saving.  I've got broodies that lay a clutch of 20+ and THEN sit on them, so there are mighty old eggs in that clutch and they seem to hatch fine. 

[caroline800]

Thanks Beekissed - sounds like a good plan 

[grinling]

Have you ever hatched before with a hen?
You will need a separate place for the broody away from the main house.
What would you do with any cockerels hatched if you cannot find homes.
If your hens have never been broody they will prob not.

[caroline800]

Thanks for your comments Grinling 

In answer to your questions, yes in the past have had broody hens and chicks, but then we just let them sit on the eggs as laid. 

The present situation is a bit different because I am wanting to hatch out eggs from the cockerel that the fox had, so wondered really about when it would be safe to risk putting them under the hen for her to reliably keep sitting until hatching.  I don't want a situation where she sits on them and starts them off and then doesn't finish so they die.

With regard to the cockerels, these would be used in the traditional Sunday method  and, yes, done that before 

My current hens are fairly new to me and so I don't know if they have been broody before, but if they haven't then the next time will be their first........which I guess goes for any hen that has never been broody but then does....? 

[Beekissed]

Yep....there always have to be a first time.  All the broodies I've had for the past two years have all been pullets, not experienced broodies. 

This year, those that went broody last year as pullets didn't go broody as hens~though there is still time....May seems to be the big month for broodies in my flocks.  This year I have two of this year's new pullets sitting on nests, one out in the woods and one behind a wood pile on the front porch.  Got another pullet building a clutch in the woods right now....I'll see if she will actually sit those eggs. 

Broodiness, or the tendency to go broody, is often a breed characteristic as some breeds or lines of breeds tend to retain or have been allowed to retain a more broody instinct.  Within a breed, some birds will want to brood even if their particular breed isn't known for being broody....it doesn't happen as often but it does happen. 

It really has nothing to do with if they have or have not gone broody before though sometimes one is blessed to have what I call a "dedicated" broody who goes broody reliably each year, but more to do with hormone fluctuations and genetic traits for certain instincts...and sometimes it's just how God wanted it to be despite all those other factors.