Questions: How long can a hen stay off her eggs before they die? How long will a hen sit on eggs after 21 days? How many eggs can a broody hen sit on? How long does it take for chicken eggs to hatch under a hen? How to make a hen broody? Will a hen sit on dead eggs? Do broody hens lay eggs? Can I let my chickens hatch their own eggs?
Broody hen meaning
Brooding is caused by a hormone called Prolactin which is released by the pituitary gland found behind the eyes. When Prolactin is released, the hens get the urges to sit in some eggs and hatch them. Some hens go broody in the spring and summer when the days are longer and there is ample food.
When they get the urge to go broody, they lose the feathers on the breast to be able to make contact with the eggs and keep them warm. The hens regulates the temperature and humidity of the eggs by turning them from time to time.
Some hens are far better than others at sitting on eggs and raising chicks, but not all hens will get broody. Breeds that are light and flighty rarely become broody, and when they do, they are frequently not excellent mothers.
Up to a dozen medium-sized eggs can be covered by large breeds like the Australorp or Cochin, but the more eggs she has, the more probable it is that she will break some of them.Although bantams can sit on enormous eggs, their small size limits how many they can cover. The larger duck breeds like the Muscovy can cover almost two dozen eggs.
There are several benefits of using a broody hen to hatch eggs and raise chicks naturally because she typically does so without much help. Unfortunately, you can’t make a hen go broody but you can get a good idea of whether a hen will likely go broody by her breed. The only thing you can do to encourage broodiness is to let some eggs gather in the nest. In order to avoid broken eggs, it would be even better to place some fake eggs in the nest box.
Signs of a broody hen
- She refuses to leave the nestbox.
- She becomes protective and makes a scolding sound when you get close to her.
- She puffs her feathers and gives a peck when you come very close to her.
- Clucking
Collecting and storing hatching eggs
- Nest boxes must always be kept clean. To prevent other hens in the home from contaminating or breaking hatching eggs, collect them as soon as you can.
- Keep eggs in a cool away from the sunlight
- Store eggs pointy end down on trays or in egg boxes.
- Avoid using round or very pointed eggs because they make hatching difficult
- The most viable eggs are the medium sized ones not the large ones.
- We normally don’t need to keep eggs in storage for a long time when hatching eggs with a broody hen.
Broody house specifications
A broody house is just a small coop with an attached run. To ensure a comfortable and successful hatching, your broody house must have these features;
- Located in the shade
- Adequate ventilation
- Protection from predators and harsh weather conditions
- A quiet place away from other poultry
- A grass run for her to use when she hatch the eggs
Advantages of using a broody hen
- There’s no need to worry about the settings of an incubator since the turning is done by the hen.
- More eggs hatch using broody hens than incubators.
- She makes sure the eggs and chicks are kept safe.
- She successfully raise the chicks and guide them to feed.
- You don’t have to worry about power cuts
Disadvantages of using broody hen
- You cannot hatch as many chicks as you can with an incubator
- You would have to provide a broody house for the hen even if they only hatch one chick.
- Not all broody hens are good at brooding
