Bantam Hen

[donavonef]

I am New to the forum and raising chickens. I have a black molted Japanese bantam hen and rooster and a Japanese buff bantam hen pullet. I lost my previous rooster 2 weeks ago. My hen (Ann) laid an egg the next day so I decided to see if she'll go broody. I read that the eggs can be fertile for 2 weeks after the removal of a rooster, so I'm pretty positive that the eggs she's laying are fertile. She has 9 eggs so far and today makes 2 weeks that she's been laying. My new rooster (Little Man) is still young and trying to win her over. My question is since she's been laying for 2 weeks and has 9 eggs, are the eggs that she laid first still any good? Will she go broody soon if at all? Thanks in advance

 

[nchls school]

I am New to the forum and raising chickens. I have a black molted Japanese bantam hen and rooster and a Japanese buff bantam hen pullet. I lost my previous rooster 2 weeks ago. My hen (Ann) laid an egg the next day so I decided to see if she'll go broody. I read that the eggs can be fertile for 2 weeks after the removal of a rooster, so I'm pretty positive that the eggs she's laying are fertile. She has 9 eggs so far and today makes 2 weeks that she's been laying. My new rooster (Little Man) is still young and trying to win her over. My question is since she's been laying for 2 weeks and has 9 eggs, are the eggs that she laid first still any good? Will she go broody soon if at all? Thanks in advance

All the eggs in that clutch should be fertilized. Two weeks is just an average. The eggs can be fertile for much longer after the rooster dies. Eggs in the next clutch will not be fertile unless a new rooster is put with her. Do you leave the eggs in the nest? If so, depending on breed, she will go broody when she has 12 to 15 eggs; sometimes less.

 

[donavonef]

@nchls schoolI do leave the eggs in the nest. She's a Japanese bantam. Are they likely to go broody? And she hasn't laid in 6 days. Anything on that? She is with a new rooster but he's younger than she

 

[nchls school]

@nchls schoolI do leave the eggs in the nest. She's a Japanese bantam. Are they likely to go broody? And she hasn't laid in 6 days. Anything on that? She is with a new rooster but he's younger than she

Japanese bantams are supposed to be good broodies. If she has not laid in 6 days she probably is going to start over. If she continues to not lay then when she does the eggs, most likely, will not be fertile by the rooster that died. Consider putting the eggs that were laid in an incubator or under another broody hen. After 6 days I doubt she will brood this time.

 

[nchls school]

If the new rooster is over six months he should be old enough to fertilize eggs.

 

[donavonef]

Japanese bantams are supposed to be good broodies. If she has not laid in 6 days she probably is going to start over. If she continues to not lay then when she does the eggs, most likely, will not be fertile by the rooster that died. Consider putting the eggs that were laid in an incubator or under another broody hen. After 6 days I doubt she will brood this time.

Thanks for the information