Bummer, eggs not hatching!

[scramblingmyeggs]

Well, here we go again...
This is the 4th nest in a row this summer that has 7 eggs in it where none are hatching!!
I have 7 adult homers, and my resident male 'disappeared' this spring, and since then I have only had one baby hatch (and that one was the only viable egg in a nest with 4 eggs).
Right now I have 2 nests going, with 7 eggs each, which have been going for 20 days each so far. I am sure that neither nest has viable eggs.
The thing is, I thought that I had at least 2 males (maybe 3).
What is going wrong?

 

[sourland]

That many eggs in a nest means 4 hens laying in the same nest. My guess is that you have all hens; therefore, none of the eggs will be fertile. If you see them billing and mating, that does not necessarily mean that one is male. Hens will bill and mate other hens if there are not enough males available.

 

[PrinceSandwich]

Quote:
I agree

 

[scramblingmyeggs]

Ya, I'm sure you're right

I guess that I will have to wait until next year and hope that a couple of the young ones from earlier this spring are males. I will also get a couple of babies from a neighbor, but those won't be ready to mate until next year either. Oh well...

 

[scramblingmyeggs]

Oh, another interesting thing is that at night they will snuggle up together so that there are two hens on each nest.
Poor ladies... they must be as frustrated as I am!!