3rd time lucky?

[Silkie Keeper 7]

Hey guys. So earlier this year my silkie hen laid a first batch of 9 eggs. Sadly they were all infertile. She then laid another batch of 14 eggs but again they failed. Now with her third batch I just need to ask some questions.

1. How long can an egg be in the nest without being sat on by the mother hen?

2. When candling an egg, do you candle it a few weeks after its been laid or do you candle it while the hen is sitting on them?

I'm kind of a beginner to looking after chickens so I dont really know a lot of things. Also with the previous batches of eggs, my hen took probably 3 or 4 weeks after the first egg was laid to finally sit on the nest along with more eggs that she laid. Would that mean the first egg has already gone bad?

Lastly, any tips on hopefully making this 3rd batch of eggs turn into chicks?

Thanks

 

[Pork Pie]

Hi,

Sorry, i have no experience in candling - i just let the mother hen get on with it!

As a general rule, the likely success of a egg being viable is 10 days (thereafter the viability reduces). Keep the eggs in an egg box in a relatively cool place in your house. Put the eggs pointed end down in the box. Put one end of the egg box raised above the other (lean it on something) for half the day, then swap the box around so the opposite end is now raised.

Once you are sure that your hen is committed to being broody, put the most recent ten eggs under her - maybe on a night time.

Thats what i do and i have had 90% hatch rate.

Good luck

CT

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I agree, I wouldn't have much hope on an egg older than a week, once a hen is broody you can't pry them off the nest, unfortunately they are done laying at that point, so like Ken said you'll have to collect them until she goes broody only giving her the newer ones, storage of the eggs has to be right as well as far as temperature and keeping them at an angle, there's a lot of good information on the hatching forums, so check them out.

I personally candle about a week into the incubation to see if I can see blood vessels forming, than again a week or so later to see if they are dark which is good, I toss them if I can see the yolk. I use a toilet paper roll on a flash light to candle, with smaller eggs it a bit harder, but it's cheap and works, I just go to a dark place to do it.

 

[Silkie Keeper 7]

Thanks for the infos. Yes with the eggs that she's laid, I've collected the older eggs and kept the recent ones in the nest still. She laid another egg today as well.

 

[Pork Pie]

Thanks for the infos. Yes with the eggs that she's laid, I've collected the older eggs and kept the recent ones in the nest still. She laid another egg today as well.

I would suggest that you remove every egg that is laid on a daily basis - keeps then cleaner, you can write dates of each egg, and stops them being broken in the nest. The removal of all eggs will not affect broodiness - mine sit on nothing at all!

CT