Do broody hens keep laying?

[marcym]

I know they sit on a clutch of eggs, but how many days do they keep laying before their clutch is big enough and they stop? My BO was sitting on three eggs. I added nine, hoping that some of them are fertile. Today she is sitting on 13. If she is going to keep laying should I remove some of the ones that I put in there? Sorry if I am missing the obvious, this is my first time around this particular block.

 

[debilorrah]

No they don't. But that wont stop you from finding more and more eggs under her. I suggest marking them with a kids marker or pencil and take the "donations" out daily. Other birds come up behind the broody and lay their eggs and shove them under her.

 

[marcym]

Also, there isn't any need to candle them when they are being hatched naturally is there? What happens when some are hatched one day and others will be reeady to hatch two days later? Does she stick on the nest till they all hatch?

 

[debilorrah]

Quote:
All birds are different, but usually, as a rule, they stay for two days. And they KNOW when one is no good. If you find one crushed or rolled away, she did it on purpose. Candling is never necessary, just fun to do, so we can see the egg developing. When incubating it helps to remove quitters from the bator so they don't possibly contaminate the other eggs.

 

[blk90s13]

good question I would like to know my self too

 

[marcym]

Thanks for the help. I tried to find the answers elsewhere on the boards, but didn't find those specific questions.

 

[debilorrah]

Quote:
Chickens are sneaky!!! My first broody was a 10 ounce turken and I could not for the life of me figure out why she had 6, then 12, then 15 eggs!!!!! I learned that one!