The Poultry Keeper

greentree · Joined: 08 Jun 2007 Posts: 161 Location: Wicklow - Ireland

Wonder if someone with experience here can give me some advice!

One of our LS hens has just gone broody. We gave her a clutch of eggs about 3 days ago and she has been on and off them since then but has now eventually decided to sit tight.

So the question is, how long do the eggs have to be incubated before a break of a few hours will kill them? I'd replace the eggs but just don't have replacements available.

BTW - This girl has real attitude, totally different than my last LS hen. She is vicious if I try to go near her!

Thanks in advance!

Mick

Elly · Joined: 18 Apr 2008 Posts: 291 Location: Norfolk

My LS did exactly the same and on one day the eggs were left for a couple of hours. This all happened in first week. After that she sat tight and would not move without a hefty shove Laughing

We now have 5 lovely chicks, all born on different days Very Happy

Nature obviously knew what it was doing Wink

Good luck with yours
Keep smilin
Elly

Itsybitsy · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1363 Location: Leicestershire

I had a hen die on the eggs, I found her stiff and cold one morning Crying or Very sad

the eggs were about a week off hatching and were cold, I put them under another broody and several hatched. I wouldn't recommend it as a hatching method Shocked

but it just goes to show how resilient they are.

Itsybitsy

greentree · Joined: 08 Jun 2007 Posts: 161 Location: Wicklow - Ireland

Thanks for the replies! Well, she's sitting tight now on the 8 eggs.

We've been looking forward to having another batch of chicks so fingers crossed all goes OK!

So now the day counting starts....

Mick

Chris Kurzfeld · Joined: 29 Oct 2007 Posts: 1410 Location: Carmarthenshire

I also had one die 7 days in - eggs stone cold but put them in the incubator and had a 100% hatch!