Hi, I just bought a pair of 1 year old Partridge Chantecler hens. They've been living with roosters so I believe their eggs should be fertile. Would it be reasonable to leave their eggs in the nest for a few days to see if one of them will set on them? Should I collect them first for a week or so and then put them in the nest? (I do not have a roo so these next few eggs will be the only fertile ones for me.) I don't have the inclination to incubate chicks, but I'd love it if I could add a few more chicks to my flock of 6 . Thanks in advance for any advice!
It's been my experience that you need to see signs of the hen going broody first, then keep some eggs under her. If your hen is not broody, they will just keep laying and adding to the pile, ignoring the nest. I have read about a few people who have sucessfully made a hen go broody, I think if you do a search, you may find how it's done. Good luck, I hope you get to hatch a few!