Could my eggs be fertilized?

[CandiceJ]

Hello! New here and new to owning hens. We have two Americauna hens we had a rooster that we got rid of about 3 weeks ago because he suddenly became aggressive to our kids. One hen has been missing for a few days down and they are free range during the day. Well I just found her today in an old wooden wheelbarrow under one of our bushes sitting on about 12 eggs!!! I didn’t even know they had started laying yet. So my question is, could these eggs be fertilized? Thanks so much I’m still learning

 

[AlleysChicks]

Sure! But after 2 weeks fertily lowers a good bit. So some may be fertile and some not.

 

[lazy gardener]

If you are in a position to be able to deal with a broody and a clutch of babies now, I'd just let her be, if she's in a predator safe place. If her location is not safe, is there any way you can make it so?

 

[Hope Hughes]

Yes they could be! @AlleysChicks said some may nit be... but they most definitely could be... i agree if in the position make her safe ans candle them in a few days to a week to see if any are or are not and get rid of the ones that are not. I love when my mommas hatch out they chicks!! Good luck!

 

[CandiceJ]

Thanks for your reply’s. She’s in a safe place. Will she stay on them the whole time? I guess I just worry she’ll leave them. Lol. This is my first time. Should we move her and the eggs to the coop? We never planned on having chicks so we didn’t study up on this first. We just went out a few minutes ago and candled then and took the definitely unfertilized ones out. But there are many that are absolutely fertilized and seem to be pretty far in gestation. Then there are some that seem to be early still. The ones we were unsure we left and are planning to check again in a few days.

 

[wamtazlady]

Five weeks after we got rid of a people aggressive rooster we had a hen present us with 10 chicks. Not sure how many eggs she laid. We thought a fox had gotten her. instead she was hidden in a huge wild rose bush. Since we never knew she was on eggs we were spared the worry over the eggs hatching.

 

[Hope Hughes]

She will get up to graze(poop), eat and drink. I usually put my mommas in a big dog kennel with her own food and water. But if she is safe i would leave her and put food and water in here for her. If the eggs are ahowing different stages by leeps and bounds she may not complete the incubation on the later layed eggs. Once say half the eggs hatch and its after the 2-3 days that she stays in the nest with them she may get off the eggs(all mommas are different with this i have had it go both ways) and not complete the hatch on he later eggs. I woupd also mark the eggs she is on, if other hens can get to where she is (i would keep her separate but all depends) they will lay eggs where hers are if she is off them at the time and then you wouldn't know the new from old without candleing them.

 

[Hope Hughes]

I have a nersery made of hardwire cloth and its about knee high(was givin to us when we moved here) and about 5' X 4' that we made a nest box in and had the mommas stay in the when setting and after the hatch with the chicks we could move it to new grass and that way they where safe and could be introduced to the flock slowly... that was when we had ALOT of chickens lol worked great though.

 

[CandiceJ]

Five weeks after we got rid of a people aggressive rooster we had a hen present us with 10 chicks. Not sure how many eggs she laid. We thought a fox had gotten her. instead she was hidden in a huge wild rose bush. Since we never knew she was on eggs we were spared the worry over the eggs hatching.

O man!! That’s awesome! See now I’m gonna be worried until I know what’s what for sure.

 

[Bryam]

Post pics when they hatch!!