Bantam sitting on 25 eggs!

[Owlet Farm]

It's just about the cutest, a little funny, but over the last 3 weeks our broody bantam set up shop in a layer box. The other hens seem to be sneaking in to lay as the mass of eggs keep growing. We didn't think to mark the first few eggs so now we are up to a mountain of eggs and nearing day 21. Any thoughts? Very much realizing what amateurs we are!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Just consider it a learning curve. We all have to start somewhere, next time you will do better.

The problem is that the eggs not covered will cool off and die, then get moved back under her with others pushed out to die. Even if they are still alive you have a staggered hatch with the hen taking the first chicks off the nest and abandoning any late eggs. You very seldom get a decent hatch when this happens.

I suggest you candle the eggs and see if you can determine which are still alive and maybe close together in developing. Mark these and leave them under her. The rest should either be tossed or you can try to get an incubator and see what happens. With an incubator you don’t know how to manage turning or humidity so that is pretty much a recipe for high stress. To me it’s not worth it. If you get any chicks out of this consider yourself lucky. Next time you will do much better.

Another approach would be to toss all these eggs and break her form being broody, just abandon this effort. Or toss all those eggs and start over with marked eggs. She would probably stick with them and hatch them.

I know those eggs get precious as soon as you start incubating but it’s not an easy situation. Don’t beat yourself up about it. Good luck!