[Bert]

First stupid question how long will my broody stay broody for ? its been about to weeks.
Second stupid question my girls will be coming home sometime in the next 2 weeks so will my broody still be broody after the move? I assuming the answer is no, also assuming she probably will of given up on her attempt to hatch infertile eggs within another two weeks.
So if you could tell me if I'm right, wrong or just a compleat moron please do.

[mentalmilly]

With my girls it depends on the hen.  I have some that will not be put off brooding and others if you move them they lose interest.  I have read that the longest a broody hen has sat was 11 weeks (poor thing).  I had a hen hatch 4 ducklings which is a week longer to sit than hens eggs, and she was quite happy.  She may well be broody when you move, if you want her to continue put her with some eggs when you move and you may be lucky.  Otherwise she may lose interest and go broody later on.  Cant predict with hens, they haven't read the book and do their own thing anyway.  Good luck.

[Bert]

Thanks for that . I was quite surprised when she went broody as she's a black rock. I will just have to wait and see what happens.

[doganjo]

Is there anyone nearby you could get fertile eggs from?  I'd give that a go 

[sh3ph3rd]

how long will my broody stay broody for ? its been about two weeks.

Any broody worth her grain will stay broody for at least two weeks, because the usual amount of days it takes to hatch a chook egg is 21.

You could try her out with some fertile eggs if you want more, as per doganjo's suggestion?

[in the hills]

I think it will probably knock her out of being broody when you move her to your new home. Even if it doesn't you might decide that by then she has sat for long enough anyway and decide not to get any fertile eggs for her this time. She may lose condition if she sits for too long or give up on the new set of fertile eggs part way through ..... as she will have already sat for well over the 21 days. It is quite unusual for a Black Rock to go broody. Think I've only ever had one hybrid go broody in many, many years of keeping them.


Good news about your new croft and getting your hens back. 

[mentalmilly]

I had a black rock go broody as well and she was moved to a hut by herself, hatched some eggs and was a great mum.

[Bert]

Thanks everyone.
 I think I'm going to go with in the hills advice. Would love to get some fertile egg for her but not till my girls are all back home and I think that would be asking a bit much of my girl.  So fingers crossed    that she goes broody again and soon as I have lose 5 of my girls while they have been away  .
 Thanks again for all your help.

[mab]

My black rock went broody too; hatched out some eggs I got in and raised the chicks - she just started laying again day before yesterday - now the chicks are going off without her.

[HesterF]

I've had one that stayed broody for seven weeks and eventually hatched (first batch was duck eggs and they failed to hatch). I've also juggled my broodies around because I haven't always had a final run available for them - and I brought them in when it was snowy outside - and they've always stayed broody. So I think if you want to keep her broody, she should be fine but best to move her at night if possible.

My mother-in-law has Black Rocks and has had a couple of broodies amongst them - who have hatched successfully. Just has avoided my predicament of having all the hens broody at the same time and no eggs!

H

[chrismahon]

We fine a good method to break a broody is to move her to somewhere unfamiliar. In our case we put them in a store room on a tiled floor overnight. 100% success so far. So I would say moving her has risks, unless she feels completely secure and comfortable in her new location.