Belgian D'Uccle laid her first egg and sat for 4 hours only - is it still viable?

[Melbourne Chick]

Hooray, the wait is over! One of our chook's laid her first egg yesterday. I was excited as she stayed in the nesting box and I thought she must be broody. (Our pekin roo hasn't left her side). Except, when I checked underneath her to see if there was an egg, she left the nest and hasn't returned. Nor has she laid today.

Should I leave it there? If she returns to it in the next few days might it be OK? It was warm yesterday but as she sat on it all morning would it have started incubating and now be spoiled?

This is my first post, so hope it makes sense. I can't find any info on this, so thought I would try here...love Backyard Chickens, thanks for any help!

 

[mayberrygirl]

You can leave it there if you want, but it seems like a waste... It is very rare for a pullet to go broody on her first egg.

 

[mstricer]

D'Uccles only lay, probably 2 to 3 eggs a week. They also will sit on the nest for a long time. I would be very careful with the pullet egg. Isn't a pekin a duck?

 

[Melbourne Chick]

Thanks for that. She laid again today, but left the nest again as soon as I checked on her. So I guess she's not broody. I'm hoping to hatch some eggs as our rooster (we got him as an unsexed day old chick) has to go very soon (he's started crowing and I cant hide him any longer - local council regulations). I might keep these fertilised ones and hopes she goes broody shortly or maybe use an incubator. Fingers crossed we end up with at least one chick!

 

[Melbourne Chick]

Thanks. She's doing well and has laid her 2nd egg, so every second day so far. A nice size too considering how tiny she is!

Ohh, the Pekin is definitely a rooster lol! We call them Pekin's here in Australia, maybe you know them as Cochin Bantams? We'd love to have some of his offspring to remember him by, we're in the city and just have him a few more days before he moves to the country. Lucky thing!

Initially I was concerned that the Belgian D'uccle might have started incubating her eggs as she sat on them so long (as I'm hoping to hatch them and don't want them to spoil). I'll store them for now and hope they are fertile and we'll try hatching them in the next couple of weeks?

I wonder how long the eggs laid will be fertile after the rooster has gone? Maybe a week I think I read somewhere?