help please. hen laid egg now what do i do?

[welshterrier]

Hen laid first egg today. Got one hen three roosters. Don’t ask.

Hen dumped egg in the basket under an awning. Happy hen.

However she left it and ran off with the roosters. I thought she was supposed to sit on the thing until a chick emerged like penguins or other normal birds.

Maid from Philippines said that that is how they do it. She runs off and lays anther egg tomorrow and when she has finished laying she sits on them and presto bingo out comes the chicks.

I asked her what her hatch rate was and we got vague.

Er … Some don’t hatch.

I tried putting the hen in the coop with the egg in the basket but she is totally, just as the maid said smilingly, not interested in sitting on it.

The egg is COLD.

Does it have to be kept warm? Is this the way it all happens … the way my maid from Philippines says where it is undoubtedly hot.

I am in Malaysia where it is about 88 at night and 93-100 during the day. Today it rained and was cold. The egg is cold. No one has incubators here.

Please help and thanks.

 

[chics in the sun]

They will not sit on the eggs unless they are "broody", a phase in which they go through a hormonal shift and decide they want babies. When a hen is broody, you will see her staying in her nest box (or wherever she feels she wants to hatch out eggs), and she will get very angry at you if you get near her. She won't come out but once a day or so to eat, drink, poop, then will return to sitting. This can happen with or without eggs under her, but you will know when she is doing this that she is ready to incubate eggs. As a first time broody, she may not get it right the first time - she may give up early or abandon the chicks (or peck them) - you just never know. You are at the mercy of her hormones - and some breeds generally become broody more frequently than others.

Three roosters and one hen is a bit much for the poor hen. Are they separated?

 

[La Mike]

Yea thats pretty much how it happens
The egg is fine just so it doesnt freeze or bake
The hen may or may not sit it but she surely wont until she gets a clutch of them

 

[ChickenDreamer]

A hen lays eggs over many days and when she is ready, she will sit on them. They do not have to be kept warm until then. However, just because the hen is laying eggs does not mean she will want to set. When instinct kicks in she will become what is known as 'broody' and will refuse to leave her eggs. Some breeds go broody often and others not much at all. You will need to wait and see what your girl has in mind

Edited for clarity.

 

[pookiegoldman]

Wow... OK. You can't MAKE a hen sit on a clutch of eggs. She has to get broody, meaning she wants to raise a clutch of chicks. This is her first egg?? Chances are slim to none that she'll be broody any time soon. Typically they will lay 8-10 eggs, whatever, and then sit on them after they've all been laid. 21 days or so later and then out come the chicks. My hens got broody after a year of having them. So, go ahead and eat those eggs until you catch her wanting to set. It'll be a while. Of course if you DO find an incubator, you can do it that way.

 

[BeccaB00]

Next time she lays an egg go ahead and have breakfast

They aint gonna set on eggs unless they're broody. Your hen doesn't sound broody.

Oh and btw

 

[chics in the sun]

Quote:
Define "mostly" for me - I'm fairly new to this, and want to make sure I'm not giving out any mis-information.

 

[ChickenDreamer]

Quote:
Define "mostly" for me - I'm fairly new to this, and want to make sure I'm not giving out any mis-information.

"Mostly" referred to the info she recieved from her maid. However several more detailed explanations than my own were posted whilst I was typing

 

[wood&feathers]

Hmmm, funny quote from my DH on hearing this thread -

"To a chicken an egg is her period. She wants it over and done with. Not very often she wants babies".

 

[chics in the sun]

Quote:
Define "mostly" for me - I'm fairly new to this, and want to make sure I'm not giving out any mis-information.

"Mostly" referred to the info she recieved from her maid. However several more detailed explanations than my own were posted whilst I was typing

Oh good!!

on that quote wood&feathers!