This may be a stupid question, but i am attempting to see if i can get my chickens to hatch some of their eggs. The eggs in question are currently in the coop, which i am leaving in, but i notice that they dont seem too keen to sit on them. Its been a few days now, and i think i see some development in a few eggs. But i was curious as to if they have to sit on the eggs all day long? They are hens from the tractor supply store, most likely calico princesses. I appreciate any feedback as this is the first time im attempting to let them hatch them as opposed to me using an incubator.
Do they at least sit on them for some periods during the day? Chickens will get off the nest to eat and drink and such. When the weather is very warm, their absence is even less critical (from what I understand), but there should certainly be noticable periods of sitting.
They do occssionnaly sit on them, just not as long as I would have imagined. I was wondering if because the weather is fairly warm that they don't need to as much.
You need a definite broody hen to hatch eggs. Broody hens will sit on their eggs all the time except to get up to eat, drink, and poop. They are off the nest usually no longer than 30 min. You can tell if you have a broody if she is sitting on her nest and if you look in or touch her she ruffles up and makes a gosh awful "get away" from me noise. It reminds me of a miniature dinosaur.
If these eggs have been started (?) (You write you think you see some development. How?) and your hens are not properly broody and by some means you, or they, continue to incubate them the chances of chick health problem such as deformities and later life health problem are high if they hatch at all. Trash these eggs and wait for a hen to go properly broody.