9 yesterday 11 today

[eviered]

My black hen is setting a nest! Yesterday there were 9 eggs in there and today there are 11. She made herself a nest in a patch next to our barn where I have mint that grows in a big hedge. She doesn't stay on the nest all day though. Is that normal?

My gray hen has a serious crush on my husband. She follows him everywhere when he is working outside, and will lay herself on the ground right next to him wherever he is. Our Tom just loves me and hates my husband so maybe she is trying to make him jealous! LOL! It makes for some fun conversation anyway.

 

[chickenannie]

Typically, a hen will lay an egg on her nest each day and will sit there with it for a while (10-30 minutes?). Once the nest is 'full', 14-22 eggs or so, the hen will suddenly stay on it 24/7.

I had one 'bad' hen that would sit on her eggs for half a day, then get up, then come back the next day and set for 8 hours, etc. But she was never consistent on setting on them around the clock. She was too erratic and none of them hatched, so her behavior was a problem.

It will be up to the hen to determine when her nest is 'full'. You could possible encourage her nesting by locking her up in a pen along with her eggs (and no other turkeys), and make sure she has food and water, etc. in there. But I would wait until she does it herself -- she has good instincts.