Another chick hatched yesterday morning, the hen sitting on it was pecking at it, so I moved it to the calmer brooders nest, when I checked at the end of the day it seemed fine, but this morning it was dead. Along with another egg that was zippered and appeared soggy and shell-less, with the chick still inside. I'm concerned these two broody hens could be making my other hens broody, is that possible? Because today I came out to three chickens trying to sit on eggs. They don't know when they are fertilized, do they? How many days should I wait to candle to see of they're fertilized? I've been researching all this, but I'm curious to hear what experienced people have to say, if there's anything about my situation that causes some variables.
If you have a rooster, and he is healthy and active, and you have a good hen ratio (around 10 hens to 1 rooster), chances are all your eggs are fertile if he is clearly making the rounds.
A hen has a small pouch in her upper egg tract that stores sperm which is why one mating will cover a hen for several weeks. Once that store is depleted or the sperm have died due to age, she needs to be re-mated. That is why it is best to use eggs about 2 to 14 days after mating. (It takes about 24 hours for the eggs to become fertile...those too far down the egg tract won't have received sperm).
Once an egg is fertilized, it is fertile. However, it is most hatch-able for about 7 days after being laid. After that, the DNA in the blastoderm (the fertilized DNA spot on the yolk) degrades, and it becomes less likely to hatch. You loose about 50% hatchability of fertile eggs after day 14. Beyond that, it is very unlikely to hatch as the DNA is simply to old. (Actually, the embryo is in a stasis...the beginning growth is spurred at laying from 106 degrees heat of the hen's body...then after laying the egg cools, vacuum packs in the shrinking membrane creating the air cell, and remains in stasis until being brought to 100 degree temperature again and held at that for 24 hours. At that point the embryo begins to grow again. It can be interrupted and slowed with cooling temps. If too cool, or hot, it dies.)
A broody hen has no idea if her eggs are fertile or not. She sits if she wants to set. Many will sit days on end on golf balls.
As to your variability, I see a number of things you could improve.
I would strongly suggest coordinating your brooding hens to no longer allow them to collect eggs day to day as they are brooding.
You should collect all eggs and set only the eggs you want hatched at one time. Do not let a hen gather at will while she is sitting nor others to add to her clutch later. You get very staggered hatches with very poor results in both chick health and hen behavior.
That means daily pulling eggs out from under brooding hens if they are still in the main nest...typically checking twice a day. Do not let the hens sit on eggs that they gather day to day.
I also highly recommend isolating your brooding hens, even from each other, to prevent the coming and going of other hens pushing your broody around exposing eggs to varying temperatures. This also reduces competition between brooding hens who will try to steal each other eggs and chicks or peck at the others eggs or chicks.
Once gathered, store the eggs at cool room temperature in an egg carton pointy side down. Tip the carton slightly and rotate the edge tipped daily. Be sure to note when the eggs were laid rotating out any that become 8 days old.
When your stored eggs are a number you want to set, mark the eggs with sharpie (any mark will do but I use date set), then set all the marked eggs at the same time under one brooding hen removing any other eggs laid by other hens she might have under her. (Keeping the hen out of the main coop helps with this).
All eggs must be set at the same time to avoid these overly long and staggered hatchings.
Can one brooding hen encourage others to do so. Yes, it does seem to do that in lines that are prone to brooding. However, hens also want to sit where another one is sitting in dog pile fashion...they follow each other that way. So it doesn't mean they are necessarily brooding, just creating havoc for the brooding hen.
My recommendations.
LofMc
