Egg laying question

[PeaFan]

Hello - I know that it has been said that hens lay an egg every two to three days and wait till they have a clutch of six or more. Also, that the viability of the eggs goes down after ten days. Does that mean that even if a hen goes broody with six eggs that most likely a couple of them will not hatch? My hen laid two eggs two days apart then took a four day break and has laid two more two days apart (she broke one of them). The first egg is already ten days old. Should I leave the older eggs or take them away- wouldn’t that cause her to take longer to go broody, if she even does? I know this sounds like a grammar school math question. Just trying to wrap my head around it. Thanks

 

[pekin queen]

Hello - I know that it has been said that hens lay an egg every two to three days and wait till they have a clutch of six or more. Also, that the viability of the eggs goes down after ten days. Does that mean that even if a hen goes broody with six eggs that most likely a couple of them will not hatch? My hen laid two eggs two days apart then took a four day break and has laid two more two days apart (she broke one of them). The first egg is already ten days old. Should I leave the older eggs or take them away- wouldn’t that cause her to take longer to go broody, if she even does? I know this sounds like a grammar school math question. Just trying to wrap my head around it. Thanks

yes.
and ten days old is about as long as you can leave a egg before it get incubated.
you can leave the egg if you what and a broody hen will not care how long she is on the nest.

 

[KsKingBee]

When I am going to let a hen set her eggs I mark the dates on them and pull the ones that are ten days old and incubate them.

 

[PeaFan]

When I am going to let a hen set her eggs I mark the dates on them and pull the ones that are ten days old and incubate them.

Thanks- I have been writing dates on them to keep track. I don’t plan on incubated any- just leave them to see if she feels like sitting. She did not last year.

 

[NatJ]

the viability of the eggs goes down after ten days. Does that mean that even if a hen goes broody with six eggs that most likely a couple of them will not hatch?

They might all hatch, or they might not.

Older eggs are less likely to hatch, but occasionally an egg can be 2 or even 3 weeks old before the hen starts setting, and still hatch. And sometimes freshly-laid eggs will fail to hatch.

I have been writing dates on them to keep track. I don’t plan on incubated any- just leave them to see if she feels like sitting.

If the hen does start setting, and the eggs all fit under her without sticking out, I would not worry about how old the eggs are (unless they are rotten.) But if there are too many eggs, I would take away the oldest ones, until she is left an appropriate number of eggs.

 

[NatJ]

the viability of the eggs goes down after ten days. Does that mean that even if a hen goes broody with six eggs that most likely a couple of them will not hatch?

I just found a thread where someone mentioned some older eggs that are developing nicely: one was 16 days old and the other 17 days old when they went into the incubator.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/our-late-hens-brood-an-experiment.1525213/
Here's a link. As of posts 6 & 7, the poster was commenting on which eggs were developing. As of today, some of the eggs are hatching, but the poster does not have a final count yet.

 

[PeaFan]

I just found a thread where someone mentioned some older eggs that are developing nicely: one was 16 days old and the other 17 days old when they went into the incubator.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/our-late-hens-brood-an-experiment.1525213/
Here's a link. As of posts 6 & 7, the poster was commenting on which eggs were developing. As of today, some of the eggs are hatching, but the poster does not have a final count yet.

Thanks. My hens first eggs are getting to be about that old already. Interesting to see what happens - if she decides to sit.