Broody hen walkabout

pandora · « **on:** July 19, 2008, 21:58 »

Hello, I'm new here and to hen keeping. I've had my hens for about a year and this summer 2 of them went broody. I bought fertile eggs and place them under the hens. The first one to go broody successfully hatched her eggs and is now running round with her chicks. The second one went broody about 2 weeks ago. I moved her to her own broody luxury apartment (didn't want to leave her in the main run with the rest of the hens) which I made from an old large crate with a little nest box in is. She has space within the crate to get off her nest and move about - it is the same kind of set-up I have for the first hen, which seemed to work.

The top of the crate has chicken wire over it, which is fastened down. The problem is I have been away for 2 days this week with work, and a friend has been keeping an eye on the hens. She told me that she came in to check them about 9 am on Thursday, all was well, but when she came back at about 4.30 pm my broody hen had squeezed out through a small gap in the wire and was back on her old nest in the communal hen house.

I had moved her and checked for a few days first that she was happy to sit in her new accomodation, and she was, She had been in there for 10 days, 5 of them sitting on fertile eggs, before she decided she liked her old nest better. Are these eggs dead now? They have been left to cool for an uncertain length of time, but it could be up to 7 1/2 hours. She had been on them for 5 days at this point. She is back on them again now, and I am going to candle them tonight, but this is my first time doing it and I don't know how good a result I will get - they are a mix of light shelled bantam eggs, but I only have a homemade candler to check them with.

If the eggs are no good, and she has been broody and sitting on a nest for 2 weeks, should I get her more eggs, or will that be too long for her to be sitting?

Sorry for so many questions. I have to start somewhere!

Poolfield2 · « **Reply #1 on:** July 19, 2008, 23:33 »

My broody went walkabout on day 1 after only 13 hours on the eggs and we got away with it but at day 5 and 7 hours I don't know how lucky you will be. Good luck

PekinHeaven · « **Reply #2 on:** July 19, 2008, 23:47 »

They could still hatch, you'll just have to wait and see. It's surprising how long they can stay cold and still hatch out.

pushrod · « **Reply #3 on:** July 20, 2008, 01:49 »

you could be lucky i have had some eggs hatch that have been left for over half a day uncovered - it did slow them down though. If a bird is incubating in what you think is an unsuitable place it is is often best to move her when she has hatched the eggs and the chicks are a day or so old. As you have found out moving them off a nest can be unsettling for them. I wouldn't put more eggs under her as you will probs find she will lose interest before another 21 days has elapsed if she was already 2 weeks in. Good luck with the eggs anyway.

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