- Jul 6, 2010
- 17
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One of our young layhens (6 months old, started laying 1 month ago) started breeding her eggs (and the other hens'?) about 6 days ago. My kids are the ones that get the eggs from the nest boxes and there haven't been that many this week but they didn't tell me that always the same chicken is staying in the nest box. Today, I was getting worried because I hadn't seen that one chicken in a while and went to check on her. I thought she was dead! She was in the nest box but not moving. I poked her a bit and found that she was alive and looked quite OK but she would not come out of the nest box. I didn't want to drag her out of the nest box as I was afraid I would hurt her (or the eggs that she might be sitting on).
My kids are excited by the idea that she will breed her own chicks but it's mid September now and I don't know if it's a good idea to have chicks hatching just when it gets colder. We live in the mountains and winter starts here pretty early. What should I do? Take the eggs from the hen or let her breed? I am also worried that the hen doesn't go outside to eat and drink. Should I carry her out? (One more note: we specifically kept our rooster so that our eggs would be fertile so that we can breed in the Spring (in incubator)).
My kids are excited by the idea that she will breed her own chicks but it's mid September now and I don't know if it's a good idea to have chicks hatching just when it gets colder. We live in the mountains and winter starts here pretty early. What should I do? Take the eggs from the hen or let her breed? I am also worried that the hen doesn't go outside to eat and drink. Should I carry her out? (One more note: we specifically kept our rooster so that our eggs would be fertile so that we can breed in the Spring (in incubator)).