Broody Hen outside..

[Anatopism]

I definitly agree, the oldest eggs aren't going to make it, i just wish i knew which ones those are so the fresher eggs could get better incubation.

I will try to candle, but i have absolutely no clue how

never incubated before, three hens before have hatched out a chick each, but i never messed with them, i just let them set.
Do u know how to candle?
We had no problem moving the nest, she went along with it, and is still on it. I saw a black snake yesterday near her, and only had a rock on hand to throw on it, which didn't do much damage, and i was scared she would get eaten (or her eggs..) so we moved her inside this little house deal we set aside for raising chicks and starting seeds, she seems pretty content.
Now i want to make it so she can get out and free range once a day, bc right now she is in a dog kennel inside a rabbit nest box (PERFECT SIZE

), we have a rabbit day- range pen we are going to let her come out in once a day. We will set the kennel in it and open up the door, and when she is ready to come out she can.

Candling is the only chicken term I'm familiar with after coming from the reptile hobby At least with chicken eggs it's ok to rotate them (with reptile eggs, they must not tip or roll!). Candling involves taking a flashlight and holding it up to the shell of the egg - do this in darkness, so that the inside of the egg glows, and you can see some of it's contents (ever put a lazer pointer or flashlight up to your fingertip or palm, to see the bloof vessels inside? Same concept). If they have strong healthy veins, they're fertile. What I am not sure of, is if absence of veins is bad with chicken eggs- I'm sure somebody here knows the answer. Do fertile chicken eggs take time to develop strong, healthy veins, or are they laid that way?

 

[Mrs. K]

no veins at ten days and the egg is a dud.

I seldom candle either, I really try and just leave my broody hen alone, that's the way she likes it. I know pretty close to when the chicks are due to hatch, and iI usually try to add live chicks, which can be a timing trick.

Right now, I have a first time broody, I added eggs to her nest, and she changed the nest. I waited two days, and then gave her eggs again, she left the nest. So this time I just left her alone, and she is only sitting on 2 eggs, and neither are the breed that I wanted, but I have chicks ordered to come in at the right time, so there.