help broody hen on 20 eggs !

[moosenbudda]

I have a bantam mix thats gone broody and she got up today when I threw in some fruits and I counted 20 eggs under her ! Is that way to many for her to handle ? This is my first broody hen !

 

[moosenbudda]

Anyone ?????

 

[BeardedLadyFarm]

Sounds like a lot to me, but if they're bantam eggs and she's covering them all, and your weather isn't too cold, she might make it work.

Do you have an incubator to move some to?

 

[Lollipop]

Quote:
I agree. If she can comfortably cover that many, let her set them, but you get a better hatch rate if you aren`t greedy. How long has she been on them? If she has too many, the outside eggs will get cold as she turns them. If she hasn`t been on them more than a day, take some out, but get the ones on the outside of her perimeter. Good luck.........Pop

 

[flakey chick]

I would be a bit concerned that some may be newer than others. Be sure to mark what she is sitting on so no more are added.

 

[moosenbudda]

I went out and did the float test and the ones that floated I gave back to her the ones that laid flat I took out she only had 7 yesterday and today there was 20 ! so alot of them were only from yesterday I found the 7 not so fresh ones. I dont have a incubator trying to do it all natural and let them do it ! Thanks everyone ! oh and there were about 7 left uncoverd

 

[rhoda_bruce]

the floating is for age of the egg. You might have luck with that method. I would also candle. Actually I would borrow an incubator and put all of them in and then give her some fresh, marked eggs that are certainly the same age. The only reason I would employ the incubator is because I would hate to discard a baby. What happened? Did she go broody in a hidden place? Even if you would do the incubator and setting thing, I would guess that from the 20 they will hatch out at all different times.

 

[Lollipop]

Looky here, moose. You obviously have a mess on your hands. You would be well advised to move that hen and eggs to a dog crate or at least a small private pen. Do it at light so you don`t stress her and let her wake up in her own private maternity quarters. Then collect fresh eggs for a few days until you have a dozen or so. Again go to her in the dark and take out the old eggs and replce them with the fresh dozen. Write down the date and be assured of a good hatch. This way you won`t have the hassle of old and new eggs and hens laying in her nest. Discard all the old eggs you remove from the nest..........Pop