Hi All
Backstory: I have a 12x16 coop/barn. We have 31 hens, 3 roos, and 2 goats. For the most part the goats only sleep there unless it's cold and snowy. The girls mostly prefer one nesting box but we were only getting 3-4 eggs a day so that hasn't been a problem, until now. One of our cochins started sitting on about 4 eggs 12 days ago. The other hens seemed to be using a different nesting box but yesterday I went out and there were extra eggs. I had marked the originals but the marking seemed to be worn off on one or two so I held them over a bright flashlight in a dark room trying to decipher which eggs were the ones she's been sitting on. I marked them and put them back under with a couple of extras that looked as though they may have started developing. Here are my questions:
Is it okay for her to be sitting on eggs at different stages of development?
How many are too many for her to sit on/care for?
Once they start hatching, will she still sit on the ones that haven't hatched? If not, should I get an incubator and will I be able to introduce them into her nest with the other babies?
I expected this in the warm weather, how should I prepare an area for mama and babies to stay warm? Should I run electricity out to the coop and put a heating lamp or put them in the garage with the heating lamp? I'd rather keep them with the flock so they're used to each other but I can't be out there 24/7 either.
Should I separate them from the rest of the flock or only if there seems to be hostility towards them?
Thanks so much for any and all info!!
Backstory: I have a 12x16 coop/barn. We have 31 hens, 3 roos, and 2 goats. For the most part the goats only sleep there unless it's cold and snowy. The girls mostly prefer one nesting box but we were only getting 3-4 eggs a day so that hasn't been a problem, until now. One of our cochins started sitting on about 4 eggs 12 days ago. The other hens seemed to be using a different nesting box but yesterday I went out and there were extra eggs. I had marked the originals but the marking seemed to be worn off on one or two so I held them over a bright flashlight in a dark room trying to decipher which eggs were the ones she's been sitting on. I marked them and put them back under with a couple of extras that looked as though they may have started developing. Here are my questions:
Is it okay for her to be sitting on eggs at different stages of development?
How many are too many for her to sit on/care for?
Once they start hatching, will she still sit on the ones that haven't hatched? If not, should I get an incubator and will I be able to introduce them into her nest with the other babies?
I expected this in the warm weather, how should I prepare an area for mama and babies to stay warm? Should I run electricity out to the coop and put a heating lamp or put them in the garage with the heating lamp? I'd rather keep them with the flock so they're used to each other but I can't be out there 24/7 either.
Should I separate them from the rest of the flock or only if there seems to be hostility towards them?
Thanks so much for any and all info!!
