Concerned about hens laying behavior

[Chickiemom25]

I have 3 younger hens, 2 of which are for sure laying. I have 2 14X14 boxes in the coop with straw, plus a dirt floor and plenty of straw for make your own nesting. They have been laying in one box and I counted 22 eggs the other day. yesterday, 2 of the girls were in the other box at the same time even. And there are 4 eggs in there now. Its like the first box may have been abandoned.. I thought one would start sitting soon but apparently not. Should I be concerned about the first eggs? We are getting into the upper 30s some nights although 40s is more common.

 

[Pyxis]

What breed are your hens? Hens don't automatically go broody after laying a certain number of eggs. Some breeds have had the broodiness bred mostly out of them. While you can never say for sure a hen of a breed that has had the broodiness mostly bred out of it, it is much more unlikely that a hen of those breeds will brood.

Also, even if your hens are each laying an egg a day and not missing a single day, the oldest eggs in the nest would now be 11 days old and starting to lose viability, since eggs start to lose viability at ten days. You should probably clear the nest out entirely, and just collect eggs daily. If one of your hens does start to sit, you can give her back the number of eggs you want her to sit on.

 

[Chickiemom25]

What breed are your hens? Hens don't automatically go broody after laying a certain number of eggs. Some breeds have had the broodiness bred mostly out of them. While you can never say for sure a hen of a breed that has had the broodiness mostly bred out of it, it is much more unlikely that a hen of those breeds will brood.

Also, even if your hens are each laying an egg a day and not missing a single day, the oldest eggs in the nest would now be 11 days old and starting to lose viability, since eggs start to lose viability at ten days. You should probably clear the nest out entirely, and just collect eggs daily. If one of your hens does start to sit, you can give her back the number of eggs you want her to sit on.

Muscovies. they can hatch clutches of up to 24 I have been told and the women I got 3 of my hens from said they wont sit till they are all laid.. My other hen with ducklings now laid daily till she decided to sit.

 

[Pyxis]

Yep, 'scovies are definitely a broody breed. I do believe that they do lay a clutch and then sit, so in this case, it may be best to leave the nest alone and see what they do, but I'm not sure that this time of year their hormones will be triggered to brood.

 

[chickens really]

Do you have a Drake too?...I also think they won't set till spring?..Hormones trigger Broody behaviour...

 

[Chickiemom25]

Do you have a Drake too?...I also think they won't set till spring?..Hormones trigger Broody behaviour...

yes 2 drakes and 4 hens.. Their is the one older couple and the younin' has the 3 hens.. Although he is now bigger than the first drake. It works well as the hen with the ducklings is accompanied by the original drake and the newer one stays with the girls he came with