Thistledown
In the Brooder
My americauna hen recently collected a clutch of 17 infertile eggs from her coop and began to set.
Not having the guts to try and break her, I purchased a dozen fertile Dorking eggs and switched them while she was out of the nest.
She sat on them for a few days, then began kicking them out of the nest one by one, until she was down - by my estimation - to one Dorking egg.
This morning, day 17, I got a look in the nest, and sure enough there is one Dorking egg left... along with 13 stolen americauna eggs (infertile)!
Has anyone got any advice on this behaviour?! I have no idea regarding the age of the stolen eggs, but I assume whenever the first egg hatches the hen will be off the nest and the rest of the eggs will die?
This is my first brooch hen - any help us appreciated!
Not having the guts to try and break her, I purchased a dozen fertile Dorking eggs and switched them while she was out of the nest.
She sat on them for a few days, then began kicking them out of the nest one by one, until she was down - by my estimation - to one Dorking egg.
This morning, day 17, I got a look in the nest, and sure enough there is one Dorking egg left... along with 13 stolen americauna eggs (infertile)!
Has anyone got any advice on this behaviour?! I have no idea regarding the age of the stolen eggs, but I assume whenever the first egg hatches the hen will be off the nest and the rest of the eggs will die?
This is my first brooch hen - any help us appreciated!