My broody hen left the nest!

[Khelton1]

I had a hen go broody and she was sitting on the eggs until one of the hens cracked one and then after the egg was cracked she left the nest and has not returned. Any advice on how to get her to become broody agian?

 

[GodLovesU]

How long has she been broody? How long has she been off the nest?

 

[Shadrach]

I had a hen go broody and she was sitting on the eggs until one of the hens cracked one and then after the egg was cracked she left the nest and has not returned. Any advice on how to get her to become broody agian?

If she's gone broody once the chances are good that she will go broody again. If one is quick cleaning up egg breakages then at least some hens I've known will go back to the nest. Quick means within minutes. Not an option in this case but something to bear in mind for the future.
If one is going to let broodies sit and hatch then events such as this are part and parcel of the result. I go by if the hen leaves the nest after incubation has started then that's down to her and I respect her decision.

 

[ChickenTenderz]

My broody hen has been sitting on her eggs for 19 days. Today when I checked on her she was sitting on today's freshly laid eggs?!
I took those and placed her marked eggs under her. They were warm but not as warm as the ones I took from under her. We are so close, will they still hatch?

 

[ChickenTenderz]

If she's gone broody once the chances are good that she will go broody again. If one is quick cleaning up egg breakages then at least some hens I've known will go back to the nest. Quick means within minutes. Not an option in this case but something to bear in mind for the future.
If one is going to let broodies sit and hatch then events such as this are part and parcel of the result. I go by if the hen leaves the nest after incubation has started then that's down to her and I respect her decision.

One of my broody hen's eggs broke on day 2, I cleaned it up just wiping off the eggs and candled day 7 they all had good development.

 

[LaFleche]

My broody hen has been sitting on her eggs for 19 days. Today when I checked on her she was sitting on today's freshly laid eggs?!
I took those and placed her marked eggs under her. They were warm but not as warm as the ones I took from under her. We are so close, will they still hatch?

Usually, they might just hatch a little later.

 

[ChickenTenderz]

Usually, they might just hatch a little later.

I candled last night and saw movement in 6 of the 7 (pretty sure it was a quitter already but I had left it just in case)
I looked in on her again late last night and she was still on them. BUT this morning she was out with the other girls, I went to check before leaving for work and she had returned to her original nest and not the one with her eggs! I replaced her on her eggs and left. Hopefully she'll return to the right nest if she gets up again while I'm away.

 

[ChickenTenderz]

6 babies hatched Good Friday!

 

[LaFleche]

6 babies hatched Good Friday!View attachment 4103655

Congratulations!