Can I take eggs from the shed and put them in an incubator?

[RedheadErin]

I have a problem. The hens have started a rotating nest. One is broody right now, and in sitting on a nest. Occasionally chicks come out of this nest (2 so far) but Miss Broody-Bottom doesn't want anything to do with them. Every time she gets up, some other hen goes and plops down an egg, which might hatch out another chick in which she will take no interest. We have a total of 22 chicks around here. We don't need many more.

I am wondering about getting an incubator and putting all the current eggs in it. Then we can start from scratch and have eggs to eat again. Will this work? Will it be OK to have eggs in different stages of development all in there together? What if a rotten one blows up in there?

 

[dadsdeercamp]

mark all the eggs in the nest now with a pencil and start eating the none marked eggs.

 

[RedheadErin]

great idea. Thanks!

 

[dadsdeercamp]

Been thru this same thing a time or two. you are welcome