Broody hen sitting on 12 eggs- day 7

[Sharmochic]

Hello fellow chicken lovers! I am trying to let my broody hen hatch a clutch of eggs. I would eventually like to be self sufficient in raising chickens and letting the broody hens hatch the eggs. Is there any reason I should candle the eggs? I have heard that the broody hen will kick out eggs that are not viable and then I have also heard why put eggs under her and waste her energy incubating any eggs that are not viable (assuming she doesn't kick them out)...thoughts? TIA

 

[Evelyn Walker]

I usually candle eggs on day 7-10 to check if they are viable (you can do this with a flashlight in a dark room, search "candling chicken eggs" to find more information about it on Youtube). If there is not apparent vein growth by day 10, something is clearly wrong, and I toss out the egg. Also, I've never had a broody kick bad eggs out of the nest, but others have claimed that they have. Every hen is different, I suppose.

 

[Sharmochic]

I usually candle eggs on day 7-10 to check if they are viable (you can do this with a flashlight in a dark room, search "candling chicken eggs" to find more information about it on Youtube). If there is not apparent vein growth by day 10, something is clearly wrong, and I toss out the egg. Also, I've never had a broody kick bad eggs out of the nest, but others have claimed that they have. Every hen is different, I suppose.

Ok thank you, I will candle them on Tuesday. Do you take them all out from under the hen at once or leave a few so she wont leave the nest and stop being broody...does that make sense?