broody??

[steveo]

My chickens started laying last week. So we go out daily and collect the eggs. Today there is one hen sitting on 2 or 3 eggs. Does this mean she is broody? We do not have any roosters just hens. There are male guineas in with the chickens but I doubt they made the eggs fertile. So what should I do? Reach under the chicken and take the eggs or let her sit on them for a while?

 

[MissPrissy]

Take the eggs daily. Otherwise you might end up with a real rotten set of eggs on your hands to have to clean up.

If she really is broody get her some hatching eggs if you want chicks.

My hens often sit on other eggs because they are trying to lay in the same nest. They aren't really brooding they just take a while to lay so it seems like they are sitting on the other eggs.

Just for the record - guineas and chickens can cross breed and the result is some ugly ugly birds.

let me add this -

If the eggs are fertile from the male guineas, being pullet eggs they are not really a good egg to try and hatch. They are much too small for a chick to try to survive in. They may not be the healthiest of eggs either.

Let their plumbing get to working and in a few months you'll really see the big differencein the egg size.

 

[steveo]

Thanks MissPrissy. I have seen a guinea chicken cross and I do not want any of them.

 

[lilshadow]

MissPrissy,
I put an egg under Bella the one I have isolated from the others, because they keep picking on her. She is sitting on it now, but I am not to sure if it is fertilized. My questions are: When should I check to see if it is fertilized, and how long can it stay underher if it isn't and still be good to eat if it isn't? I hope that I put that right to where you can understand it.

 

[MissPrissy]

If you plan to eat eggs you need to collect them every day. In the summer months more than once a day if you can.

Do not eat something left out there for the chickens to sit on.

You can only check if it is fertile by candling it after about 7 day to see if veins are growing. If there are you can let her sit if you want. If it is not fertile take it. You can also crack the eggs and look for the signs of fertilization. there is a sticky post at the top of the incubating section with a picture of what you should be looking for on the yolk.

 

[lilshadow]

Thanks a bunch...I am going to give it a whirl. You guys on here get me so excited about hatching, and all that good stuff. We will see what happens.