First Hatching Attempt - Brood or 'Bate?

[Yanna]

This is the first batch of fertile eggs I'm working with so I'm very open to suggestions. We have two hens that disappeared into the rafters for three weeks trying to hatch infertile eggs a while back - I am *hoping* that they will do the job for me. The Australorp eggs from a seller on Ebay came in the mail about half an hour ago. I'm not really sure how old the eggs are. Here is what I have done:

1. Brought in a new big, dark nesting box with a lip to keep the eggs in. I have this on the floor under the bunny hutch in the coop (they roost on top of the hutch, a bunny lives in the hutch atm).

2. Put two different hens into the box to introduce them to it (one was one of the rafter brooders, the other is just walking around all fluffed up and likes to sit on her sisters' eggs until taken off).

3. Put three of the fertile eggs in the new big dark box.

4. Walked away hoping someone will decide to sit.

Here is my first question (more will follow!):

How long should I wait to see if someone will step up to the plate?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Yanna]

Trying to keep this message from being buried. Any answers?

 

[Dirt Road]

Do you have an incubator?

Jim

 

[Maryallison]

Are you sure any of the hens are broody? Not sure if we can actually "make" a hen broody. I normally wait and am 100% sure I have a broody before I gather the eggs up.

 

[Yanna]

I do have a incubator. One of the hens has been rolling the eggs around and sitting on them a little but she keeps leaving the box.

 

[Mrs.Puff]

She's not broody then. She will sit on those eggs and only get off about once a day. Usually, if you want a broody to hatch eggs, you wait til you KNOW she's broody, then put the eggs under her. If she's already broody she'll be sitting somewhere, and you put the eggs under wherever she is sitting.

 

[Lov'emSouthernEggs]

My thoughts...

I would get some wood eggs to test the hens. I would store the eggs you bought until you are sure that your hens will set. I wouldn't risk her breaking your eggs. What breed of hen are you talking about setting?

I also agree...it's better to know for sure that they will go broody before using eggs to test them out. I have Sebright hens that are collecting their own eggs in hopes they will sit on them. I think it's one of those things that if you have a Broody Hen, You'll know it! No questions. I'm thinking I'll have to hatch these. It's not hard to incubate them. Harder to find a broody hen...I think.

You may want to incubate them and work on the broody hen part. I would also make sure they are fertil and growing well during incubation. I have read a lot of complaints about eggs bought on Ebay and all eggs bought through mail order. No need to waist time on eggs that aren't going to do anything. Check them about day 8 of incubation.

Let us know how it goes.

 

[Mrs.Puff]

Somebody else told me to wait til day 10 to check on mailed eggs. Remember the longer you wait the less likely they are to hatch! So you better put them in the bator if you're not sure. Good luck!

 

[Yanna]

Thanks for the input.

I have only five hens (4 Araucanas and a bantam black mystery breed, the broodiest of them) and up til now, just one nesting box, which lately has meant that *someone* is usually all puffed up and sitting on her sisters' eggs and has to be booted out so that I can gather them. It looks like I may have a sitter - will see if she stays on. The eggs are so big though (Australorp eggs that look like duck eggs?!) that I can probably only fit half of them under her. Will see if anyone else starts fussing by tomorrow morning - if that doesn't work, will incubate them.

 

[Lov'emSouthernEggs]

Good luck! Keep us updated. Love to hear how it goes.