26 eggs in nest!!

[judsenn]

I only make it up to my land every 6 days (my neighbors help out with watering and food) but last week there was 12 eggs in a nest. I thougt for sure today when i came one of my 3 hens would have went broody and be sitting on the nest. Well to my surprise not only were they not nesting but now there are 26 eggs in there!! I date marked last weeks eggs so i know which ones are older but I can't fit anymore eggs in my incubator. Ugh!! Why won't any of them sit and why are they all dumping eggs in a "community nest"? Fyi..they are approximately. A year old.

 

[judsenn]

ANYONE??

 

[doop]

I don't have any answers for you, but my 2 hens are same age and have 23 eggs in one nest and still not broody. I know the feeling though. My incubator is full also. Good luck!

 

[ccrawf]

I’m in just about the same boat. I have seven hens, and only one sat on her eggs. I one turkey hen and a chicken that were sharing nests. One would be on one nest and the other on the second, then the next day they’d swap. One day they were both on the same nest. So I put the chicken on eggs and took poults from the incubator and gave them to the turkey. Had to put her in a different pen when I did that. Actually, I tried to give the chicken the poults because the turkey could sit on more eggs, but the chicken wanted nothing to so with the chicks. Twice now I’ve taken about 25 eggs or so from nests and put them in the incubator.
I have 7 hens. 5 are Narragansett and were hatched last year. One is a Bourbon Red that is about 3 years old and the last is a Bourbon Red/Spanish Black cross that is 2 years old. The Red is setting on a nest right now, and one of my Narrys just hatched 9 poults over the weekend. The others just lay where ever but no one seems interested in sitting on them. Not sure it helps, but there is my experience.

 

[frank53061]

I’m in just about the same boat. I have seven hens, and only one sat on her eggs. I one turkey hen and a chicken that were sharing nests. One would be on one nest and the other on the second, then the next day they’d swap. One day they were both on the same nest. So I put the chicken on eggs and took poults from the incubator and gave them to the turkey. Had to put her in a different pen when I did that. Actually, I tried to give the chicken the poults because the turkey could sit on more eggs, but the chicken wanted nothing to so with the chicks. Twice now I’ve taken about 25 eggs or so from nests and put them in the incubator.
I have 7 hens. 5 are Narragansett and were hatched last year. One is a Bourbon Red that is about 3 years old and the last is a Bourbon Red/Spanish Black cross that is 2 years old. The Red is setting on a nest right now, and one of my Narrys just hatched 9 poults over the weekend. The others just lay where ever but no one seems interested in sitting on them. Not sure it helps, but there is my experience.

I am new to Turkeys and for the last 2 years I have had a flock of chickens.
Getting a broody hen of any kind is not been in the cards for me 3 times I have left chicken eggs in the nest for what seemed to be a broody hen and the next time I would check and the hen would be gone.
if there is a trick to it I have not learned it.
Maybe there is a formula of breed age how many eggs is laid before a hen decides she and she alone is truly ready to go broody.
The nest and maybe being secluded from the rest of the flock who knows it surly isn't me LOL.

 

[Body Thief]

I have no idea why they lay and set together. Both my turkey gals did it. I had two hens that had about 20 eggs in one nest, one of them sat for a week or two prior to the other gal joining in. Mrs Chuckles, the original setter stayed on the nest, and is still on now for about 5 weeks now. A week ago we found hen #2 off the nest and 3 dead poults. I think the poults were from Mrs Chuckles clutch and the tom and maybe hen #2 killed them. We separated them all and then Mrs Chuckles hatched what i believe is #2's clutch because of them time frame


I think it may be an age thing most of the time. This is my gals first season and they are about a year old. I also have young chickens about 6 months old, half of them went broody but they keep trying to steal each other's nest and eggs. It's a nightmare

 

[frank53061]

Its like a chicken soap opera and I hate soap operas LOL.

 

[Body Thief]

haha right?? It's anarchy in my coop right now. I'm wondering if anyone is even going to hatch after all the drama

 

[judsenn]

Well, I took 18 of the 26 and made room in the incubator, some eggs were cracked and some were too small. But now this week I have 13 in one nest and now a second nest was made and there's 3 eggs in that one! And STILL no one sitting ...imagine that!! Augh!

 

[judsenn]

Well at least some progress is being made..there are 2 nests at least. I just hate seeing all those eggs..I look at them as potential babies.