Brooding hen/incubator questions

[Thrilled Chicken Mama]

Hello, I currently have a hen sitting on developing eggs and she is on day 15. My question has a couple different parts:

1. She was showing broodiness for about a week before I decided to let her keep the eggs. Each day I had been removing the ones she collected on the nest box and she seemed determined and I had the space, so I decided to let her hatch some and moved her and 8 eggs to the maternity ward brooding space under my poop shelf. It was about 4 or 5 days of broodiness before I gave her the eggs, definitely no more than 7. My concern is will she give up on the eggs this week since she has technically been broody now for almost 21 days and will definitely hit 21+ days before hatch?
(It may be my imagination from worrying but I have a camera on her and she seems to be checking her eggs more often now and that is why I worry that she thinks they should be hatching any day now and would leave them if no chicks by Wednesday or so and that would only be day 18)

2. In my concern over the chance of her leaving the nest before hatch, I do have an incubator ready. But I hate for her to sit this long and not get the reward of motherhood.
So I was wondering if I should take the eggs and finish them off in the incubator and give her 4 chicks to replace them before it’s too late? Because I am assuming she would no longer adopt chicks if she breaks her broodiness to leave the nest?

3. If I do decide to give her chicks to adopt and finish the last 3-4 days of incubation of her current eggs in the incubator, is there a chance she would allow those to join her clutch if the 4 I give her are less than a week old and I add them at night?
Or should I just automatically know that I need to prepare to hand raise the ones I bring inside to the incubator?

I know this is a multi-layered inquiry, and I would so appreciate any thoughtful responses as I think through this.

Thanks again!

PS - a picture of Penny from today still faithfully sitting for now

 

[Debbie292d]

Hello, I currently have a hen sitting on developing eggs and she is on day 15. My question has a couple different parts:

1. She was showing broodiness for about a week before I decided to let her keep the eggs. Each day I had been removing the ones she collected on the nest box and she seemed determined and I had the space, so I decided to let her hatch some and moved her and 8 eggs to the maternity ward brooding space under my poop shelf. It was about 4 or 5 days of broodiness before I gave her the eggs, definitely no more than 7. My concern is will she give up on the eggs this week since she has technically been broody now for almost 21 days and will definitely hit 21+ days before hatch?
(It may be my imagination from worrying but I have a camera on her and she seems to be checking her eggs more often now and that is why I worry that she thinks they should be hatching any day now and would leave them if no chicks by Wednesday or so and that would only be day 18)

Broodiness is derived from their hormones. Having no eggs to sit on or nothing hatching, most will end their broodiness in about the 21 days it takes to hatch. However, once they know they're sitting on viable eggs, the hormones will click in or stay clicked in through the time it takes. It's good you have an incubator on standby in case she doesn't though. I think she'll stay on them.

2. In my concern over the chance of her leaving the nest before hatch, I do have an incubator ready. But I hate for her to sit this long and not get the reward of motherhood.
So I was wondering if I should take the eggs and finish them off in the incubator and give her 4 chicks to replace them before it’s too late? Because I am assuming she would no longer adopt chicks if she breaks her broodiness to leave the nest?

You may end up having to do this anyway if she doesn't stay sitting on them, but if she does stay on them, then she's doing the whole thing herself. I'd make sure to bring her a small dish of mash (moist chick crumbles) and water if you're worried, but she should be getting off her nest daily or every other day to eat/drink/poop.

3. If I do decide to give her chicks to adopt and finish the last 3-4 days of incubation of her current eggs in the incubator, is there a chance she would allow those to join her clutch if the 4 I give her are less than a week old and I add them at night?
Or should I just automatically know that I need to prepare to hand raise the ones I bring inside to the incubator?

This is something nobody can say for sure. It might work, it might not. You would just have to try it and see. Hopefully, she'll just hatch them herself and it's a moot issue.

I know this is a multi-layered inquiry, and I would so appreciate any thoughtful responses as I think through this.

Thanks again!

PS - a picture of Penny from today still faithfully sitting for now

She's a beauty!

I wish you a successful hatch, regardless of who does it!