[morri2]

I have a broody hen who has been sitting on an egg I put under her around 3 weeks ago.  I understand it takes 21 days to hatch an egg.  Nothing happening yet.  However, I've never done this before (hence only one egg for now!!) so not really sure of the procedure. The hen (a Black Rock) however, keeps swapping nest boxes to whichever one has the most eggs in and keeps abandoning the egg I put under her - I have to keep going in there and putting it back.  It may well have been out in the cold as it were, for a number of hours in the circumstances.  Is it likely to hatch?  Or has she neglected it too much.  I suppose it might be and unfertilized one. And yes, we do have a cockerel. Any suggestions?

[little blue]

a chicken would, naturally, lay a clutch of eggs before sitting - how many depends I suppose on the hen!
It sounds like she is not satisified with having an only child, and so if you want to her sit long enough to hatch she'll need more eggs 

as to whether that one will hatch ... it depends on how cold its got  :/

[morri2]

It hatched!!!!!!

We now have a lovely little Black Rock chick - might have another go next time another hen goes broody.

[Eggs, Chicks & Hens]

Awww congrats, give her more eggs next time x

[doganjo]

And when she goes broody try to keep the other hens off her nest box - mark hers then you'll know which ones to remove if they get in there.

[northfifeduckling]

congratulations! 

[Sylvia]

And when she goes broody try to keep the other hens off her nest box - mark hers then you'll know which ones to remove if they get in there.

Or, better still, put her in a broody coop where she can sit undisturbed.

[morri2]

Thanks guys!  Yes, I do need to separate the egg sitters I think - and I will leave a few more duly marked eggs under the next one that goes broody .....watch this space 

[northfifeduckling]

I lost 2 batches of eggs this year trying to separate the sitters. They sat tight during the first night but got off as soon as they saw their sisters and shot straight back into their old house....the second I locked in the run   and she was up and down the fence all day.  

[Llandovery Lass]

I have moved my broody twice this sitting, luckily she has not minded, she is sitting in an under bed storage tray full of hay and is absolutely no trouble. I get her off once day to make sure she eats and drinks, don't know if that is necessary. At present she is in a corner of the feed shed fenced off with hurdles to keep the dog out.