Hen having trouble laying HELP

[TaylorChicken]

As I type my hen is trying to lay an egg...Im pretty positive it has been feritilized as she has her own personal rooster..so what do I need to do to keep the egg/chick alive and or help her keep it going? she usually only lays one and I have always been to late and she never sat on them but I caught it this time and I would love to hatch it.Please help!
Thanks
Taylor

Also she has been trying to lay this egg for about a half hour is this normal?

 

[4boysmom]

1/2 hour is definitely normal, the time will vary, but I've had hens take that long and longer.

What do you mean that you've been too late? Have the eggs broken? You can hold the eggs for a few days to get a good clutch and then put them in an incubator. I don't know that you can get them to go broody on demand, I've not tried that....

 

[TaylorChicken]

By late I mean I had not found the eggs for several days and they were dead by the time had gotten them to an incubator.

So if she lays for the next few days and i collect the eggs and then incubate them all together they should do fine?

 

[WoodlandWoman]

As long as the eggs are below incubation temperature, they shouldn't start to develop. You can just collect them every day, until you have enough. Store them at room temperature, with the fat end up. Then you put them all in the incubator at the same time. The increased temperature in the incubator will trigger the development to start in the fertilized eggs.