Grocery store fertile eggs now under my hen!

[kristenm1975]

Well, I did it. Last night when it was nice and dark, I took the room-temp store bought eggs (Rock Island from CA) and tucked them all under the hen. She was NOT a happy gir, but she had no eggs under her and had been setting for three days.

She initially got fed up with my stuffing things under her and got off the nest, but I left the eggs in there and just hoped she would get over her pique and hop back on, which she did.

Previously, she would get off the nest at least once briefly in the morning when I put out the food, but today she didn't move at all. I'm thinking I'm going to need to put food and water in her nest so she can get some nourishment.

Do you think I need to do that or should I just let her take care of herself? The nest box isn't big and I don't think there's room for a water bowl.

This is my first time getting a broody to sit on eggs so I'm not sure how to do it. Any tips will be helpful. Thank you!

 

[gabrielle1976]

SOmeone that has broodies will answer soon im shure. I would say can you get a couple other eggs so she dosnt get anything out of it if the store eggs dont pan out.

 

[dancingbear]

DO NOT PUT FOOD AND WATER IN THE NEST. BAD IDEA.

She needs to get off the nest and move around for awhile everyday, and, if you don't want her to associate nest w/food, the hazards of which are possible egg eating, or even cannibalizing the chicks, I wouldn't feed her there. Also, she needs to get out of the nest to poop, or you'll have a nest full of poop covered eggs. Not a good idea for you, the hen, or the chicks. Broody poops are huge and smelly, BTW.

If she doesn't get off the nest on her own, take her off once a day, and place her in front of the food and water. I had one that didn't want to leave the eggs, but after I did that twice, she was fine, and has done it on her own since then.

 

[jbowen9]

A hen will not starve herself to death she will get up and move around when she thinks it is time to do, so best thing to do is leave her alone and keep water and feed near by but not at the nest i have some hens that will not move for 5 or 6 days at a time but when they do get up they run around eat and drink and poop and lots of it

 

[sparkles2307]

Um how can you tell that the grocery store eggs are fertile?

 

[Sillystunt]

yeah, were they sold as fertile eggs or by accident??I am confuse which doesn't take much

 

[1lpoock]

Plus, even if they are fertile...that cold can mess them up pretty bad..if not kill them!

 

[dancingbear]

People have hatched a lot of eggs after they've been refrigerated. The hatch rate is a little lower, but not much. As long as they didn't freeze, they're usually ok.

 

[Mahlzeit]

I'm curious about the fertile grocery store eggs too.

 

[dancingbear]

Some eggs are sold as fertile eggs. They are supposed to be better for you, but how, I couldn't tell ya. many health food stores, and some natural food sections in grocery store, or specialty stores such as Trader Joe's. These are not run of the mill supermarket eggs from battery cage hens. Those are not fertile.

Sometimes store eggs sold as cage-free, or free range, will be fertile. If the suppliers has roos with the hens, they certainly can be. But they aren't guaranteed to be fertile.