Egg mountain surprise

[jak2002003]

I had a huge pile of about 50 eggs in one nest box being brooded by 5 hens (they are a bantam breed).

The hens could not all fit in properly and a couple of them just sat on top of the others. They were nesting in my pigeon nest box, which is over 5 feet high.

I have been busy with work and travel lately, so I just let the hens sit on the eggs as they seemed content. Then I had to go away for a couple of weeks, and a friend fed the birds for me.

We had a huge rain storm before I went away and the nest flooded. I was going to throw away all the eggs, but did not have time before I left.

2 days after I got home I went to clear out the 'egg mountain' and as a took off the hens I saw some of the eggs were starting to hatch!!!

the next day there were 3 chicks running about on the coop floor with one of the hens.

Now every day there are a few more chicks and another hen has left the nest box.

I looked in there today and more eggs are hatching and the other hens are still brooding.

I counted 15 chicks out of the nest this evening!

Its really surprised me.. they survived getting flooded, chilled (the ones on the outside were cool to the touch), squashed by all those hens, and also the long fall.

I am so glad I did not throw away the eggs now!!!

Its amazing how the hens know when to get off the eggs, and how they are sharing their parenting duties.

 

[Majd]

Hahaha... so cute.... can you post pics... wr had a situation like this... around 60 eggs brooded by several hens... and by secret.... they were hidden under a large pile of wood and aluminum and we didn't notice their absence as we had about 40 chickens at these time and the property in wee closed with large wallls and wire.... and we has soooo many chicks then...now only 6 hens and a roo and 5 chicks...

 

[jak2002003]

Yes, I always thought there would be a poor hatch rate with 'piles' of eggs, all laid and different times, but I have over 20 chicks now.

My hens are so small they have problems brooding only 6 eggs and some get chilled, and usually a single hen only manages to hatch out about 4 chicks.

I think I may use the multiple broody method in future lol.

No more eggs hatching, but maybe they were laid later. Still have 3 hens on them. keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[Majd]

Yeah keep them... but why can't they hold much eggs..... we had an extremely small hen once... about 15cm tall.... and she went broody every year twice!!! We always put 10 eggs for her and she would cover them all... and every time all of them hatch... and she was a wonderful mother a a furious one even that small.... and yeah we use multiple broody method.... we once put 4 broodies in the same day each under approximately 15 eggs... but separately. .. when the chicks hatched we gave allllll of the chicks to the biggest most protective hen... and she raised them all... and the rest of the broodies returned to laying after 2 weeks...

 

[jak2002003]

My hens are Serama X Japanese. For some reason they lay quite large eggs for their size!

They can cover 6 eggs, but usually a couple don't hatch... and I have often seen an egg not fully under the hen and its been cool, white the others under them were very warm.