Broody Hen

[pomnovice]

Hi! As I've stated on previous threads, I'm not as experienced with chickens. Recently, I've had a hen lay three tiny eggs, and then lay two regular sized. The chickens smashed the first regular egg, but she's been sitting on the others. I think I should remove the small eggs. I definitely know they're fertilized, as she's my rooster's favourite. Any advice for helping a hen along?

 

[PD-Riverman]

Hi! As I've stated on previous threads, I'm not as experienced with chickens. Recently, I've had a hen lay three tiny eggs, and then lay two regular sized. The chickens smashed the first regular egg, but she's been sitting on the others. I think I should remove the small eggs. I definitely know they're fertilized, as she's my rooster's favourite. Any advice for helping a hen along?

To save time I am copying and pasting what I wrote to someone else to help you understand about setting a broody.

::
The first thing is go out there Now and remove all eggs---if you know she just started staying on the nest. Always Collect ALL eggs from Every Nest Daily----even if it has a hen setting on it(starting to go broody)----doing that will not allow her to be incubating eggs----till Its time to Incubate eggs. Leaving eggs in the nest then other chickens adding more or you adding more creates a staggered hatch-----a lot of times a staggered hatch creates a lot of stress for her and you----I never want a staggered hatch!!!! You can place a couple fake eggs in her nest if you are wanting to set her in a couple days.

OK now if you want her to set----collect every how many eggs you want to put under her use only what you feel is fertile, layed within the last few days, NONE that might have been under her for most of the day and if you are going to leave her with the rest(I move all mine) you need to clearly mark all the eggs and place them under her at the Same time---not adding any more later and mark your Calendar. EVERY DAY---any time during the day if you want to do it more than once a day, but for sure in the late afternoons you remove any new un-marked eggs and these eggs will be fine for eating. I do that till day 19 and then after that I do not touch her, I do not look under her or nothing until she comes off the nest. Any questions---just ask. Good Luck

One other thing """"""I""""" Would NEVER place food or water near her nest where she can reach them without getting off the nest. I would not offer her treats while she is in the nest---NEVER for "ME". See when the hen eats, she will have to poop, so if she eats in the nest she will have to poop, some times she will leave the nest to do that---some times she will not----ask some on here how much fun it is to clean broody poop off her and her eggs---No fun at all. You want her to get off the eggs to eat and drink and to Poop as well as move her legs. Some hens might not get off the nest for a couple days, but to let you know---I have set 150+/- in the last 3 years and I have never lost a hen that was brooding. I have never feed them at the nest nor offered a treat.::

Good Luck