my poor broody hens..nothing hatches!

[cgjsmith]

I've got 4 banties that have gone broody for almost 2 months. I removed the eggs once cause they smelled really rotten and they set another nest (of another hen) that was almost 3 weeks ango and so far no sign of anything. my flashlight is broken or I would candle them (even risking lif and limb) are they doing something wrong or is the eggs not getting fertalized (not real probable because there are 5 roos in the pen.) I thought about putting some of the eggs i have in the bator under them but if they aren't setting right I don't want to loose those eggs. I can wait another 2 weeks and put the babies that hatch out from the bator under them too. Crystal

 

[Napalongtail]

Well now thats a hard ? to answer. I've had non-hatches because the broody's were actually hiding from the roosters thus no fertilization. And my duck mommas who were first timers apparently forgot to turn all the eggs because when I did candle there were a bunch of lopsided half full eggs. The ducky moms left the nests of about 20 eggs that they shared with only 3 babies, I candled and still had 7 good growing ones that are in the brooders now. I recommend getting a new flashlight and candling so you know for sure. Maybe w/ 5 roos the girls just set to get away from them.