Broody girls?

[Hopeful homesteader]

My pullets are 9 and 10 months old, just started laying the end if Dec through the beginning of Jan and 3 of them aren't coming out of the nest boxes, yesterday only 2 were in the nests and one kept squawking, raising her feathers and trying to peck me when I was collecting the eggs and the other didn't really react just watched me and made noise when I reached under her. It's now dark and these 3 haven't come out of the nests and I've never seen them sleep in there before. Also over the last week egg count has been up and down, one day 8 the next 4 and I was getting a consistent 7 a day since they all started laying so 2 pullets lay every other day. Just not sure how to proceed from here. I'm not against letting them hatch eggs, I'm just not sure if they are too young yet and how long should I wait before leaving some marked eggs for them to try hatching? I've been collecting them daily so they're only sitting on fake eggs just in case they give up early I don't want abandoned eggs nor do I have any way to incubate aside from the hens. If you guys can post links for candling eggs and how to identify which eggs would be ideal for hatching.

 

[SilverBirds]

If you put her on the ground does she turn into a angry pancake? Does she run back to the coop sounding like a ticking time bomb? I'd say she's broody. The only problem with them being broody that young are the eggs. Young hens lay smaller eggs which makes it hard for the embryos to grow thus leading to higher mortality rates.

If you want her to try and hatch the eggs make sure you are prepared for the chicks. You can move mama and the babies in a separate pen and let her raise them or raise them in a brooder without mama.

There are a lot of great articles in the learning center about Hatching Eggs & Raising Chickens. Good luck!

 

[Hopeful homesteader]

If you put her on the ground does she turn into a angry pancake? Does she run back to the coop sounding like a ticking time bomb? I'd say she's broody. The only problem with them being broody that young are the eggs. Young hens lay smaller eggs which makes it hard for the embryos to grow thus leading to higher mortality rates.

If you want her to try and hatch the eggs make sure you are prepared for the chicks. You can move mama and the babies in a separate pen and let her raise them or raise them in a brooder without mama.

There are a lot of great articles in the learning center about Hatching Eggs & Raising Chickens. Good luck!

6 of the pullets lay large eggs, only 2 lay smaller eggs so don't hatch smaller eggs. I went in to mark some eggs with a pencil, 3 days in a row of only 4 eggs. #2 was outside eating when I went in and the 2 others were in the nests, as soon as #1 started squawking and raising her feathers #2 came running and got back in the nest, #2 was squawking and raising her feathers at every pullet that even poked her head in to look and at the cockerel lol #3 hasn't come off the nest in 3 days now, she mostly complains at me touching her to get eggs from under her but I've handled her the most so I think thats why she tolerates me. I have 2 mini coops and a 4×8 run if needed but I never planned to remove any for hatching unless necessary, I'd rather section off the main coop and let them do their thing. My husband said to let them try, he wanted to buy more chicks anyway and if this works he won't lose the master bathroom for 2 months . I marked 8 eggs to leave out there so if I end up with only 1 of the 3 staying broody all the way through that won't be too many for 1 to fit under her. Of the 3 their breeds are #1 partridge rock, #2 blue laced red wyandotte, and #3 speckled sussex.