Broody hens, rooster, no chicks

[bocephus]

My hens are starting to go broody. Two of them haven't left the nesting box for a week and have eggs under them. I understand the eggs can be in suspended animation, say on your kitchen counter but the hens heat should get the process going right?

Well I let both of them sit there for over a week, candled the eggs and nothing. I took some inside and cracked them open, just a yolk. Some of the yolks did have the white spot. This means the rooster was successful right? Why would they have not advanced past this stage with a hen sitting on them for a week?

 

[sourland]

It's possible that your rooster is not getting the 'job' done. All eggs will exhibit a white spot - the nucleus. Fertile eggs will have the spot developed somewhat to give a bullseye effect. If fertile there should have been veining by 7 days. What breeds do you have? In some of the more heavily feathered breeds it is difficult for the rooster to make contact, and vent feathers have to be plucked.

 

[bocephus]

They are Buckeyes, it is one rooster with 15 hens, I'm wondering if that's a little too much for him.