Broody hen with eggs

[warmwater]

Hello everyone, one of our hens (Harriet)-a cochin, is broody. So a friend of mine gave me 8 eggs for her to sit on, since we don't have a rooster. On Sunday [6-14] I am going to candle them. She will have been sitting on them for 6 days by then. I am going to write down what I see for each egg. I will candle again on Saturday [6-20] at 12 days. I figure not all the eggs will hatch for one reason or another...my questions are...1) If at day 12 I do not see anything forming in the egg/eggs when I candle again, do I still let her sit on it or do I take it away to give the ones growing more space and warmth? 2) If none of them are good (my friend has 2 roosters, but her flock free ranges) is it to late to put more eggs under her and try again? 3) I've read that if you have a radio playing in your hen house at night it will keep the predators out that might be hungry for the peeps when born? Thanks!

 

[cw]

l) i would leave the eggs alone she will probably hatch more then u think, 2)if non r good that depends on the hen 3)the only true way to keep out predators is a good fence , i hope i was some help

 

[Birdgirl]

My ducks had 16 eggs this year last year it was 10. SO I thought for sure there was no way she could hatch them all. I was wondering to but Id leave them alone. She knows what shes doing and mine hatched out 14/16! so Id just let her alone and let her sit on them...

And where is she, close her up at night, or a pred. will get her and the eggs. you could mever her with the eggs if you have to.

 

[warmwater]

Thanks so much...yes I will leave her alone with the eggs and let her do her thing. Harriet is a good mom. We have her seperated in her own pen in the chicken coop. I wanted the other hens to be able to see her. I always lock them up at night. We have a fence around their coop, we let them out in the yard to run around when we're home. Should I still candle the eggs Sunday? This is my first time at egg hatching. Thanks again

 

[Riocotesei]

I would candle once at day 12 and take out any obvious eggs that arent growing. I'veheard and experenced bad things when you leave a rotting egg in a incubator. I wouldn't want any eggs exploding on a hen and her eggs/chicks.
I like day 12 because you can see a little chick bouncing around and the veins are very easy to see. Also, by day 12 you can be pretty sure of wheather anything is growing in there and you'll be less likely to throw out a good egg.
Hope this helps and good luck with your broody

 

[PhlyinPheBee]

 

[Birdgirl]

Yes I suppose you can still candle if you wont. ANd yes if the egg is rotten and breaks it can get really smelly. But with my ducks I left them alone and the eggs didnt explode. the day all the ducks hatched I took out the last too and i could tell right away they were duds so I tossed them. (be sure to not break VERY stinky)
and welcome to BYC (its addicting)