DoozyWombat
Songster
I have a flock of six Dark Brahma hens, one Leghorn hen, and one Dark Brahma Rooster. They had just turned six months old, when one of the Brahmas went broody.
We didn't think she had more than about three eggs under there, and didn't want to disturb her, so we made sure she had water and food available, and waited to see whether she'd hatch anything.
Sunday was day 21, but no chicks and no sounds of peeping. She's still sitting on the nest, though, so we let her carry on a bit.
We've been puzzled by something else. The rest of the hens aren't laying as much. Maybe it's because the weather is getting colder.
This morning, I decided enough was enough. I lifted her off the nest, intending to destroy all the eggs on it. I figured if they hadn't hatched by now, they weren't going to. We didn't want to disturb her, so I hadn't candled them.
I had to laugh when I saw the nest she was sitting on 18 eggs! At least half of them were white, which means they came from the sole Leghorn.
She seems pretty healthy and is eating and drinking, so I let her get back on the nest. I realized the other hens must be climbing into the box with her and laying, and she was collecting the eggs to set on. Unfortunately, that would make the eggs all at different points in their development.
I figured she would start paying attention to chicks and leave the nest alone, but nothing is hatching.
So what should I do? At the moment, I'm planning to give her until Sunday (another three days.) At that point, she will have been sitting on the eggs for 28 days. If she has chicks, I'll give her another couple of days before shooing her off the nest and taking all the eggs. If not, I'll take them all and start taking them daily again.
If there's a better plan, please let me know.
As to the eggs, I'm assuming I need to chuck all of them, rather than try to see if any of them are still edible. I'm assuming that after being under a hen for even a couple of days, the eggs will have started development and not be good for eating anymore. Some of them probably are good to eat, as they were only laid today, but I can't tell which those are.
All help appreciated.
We didn't think she had more than about three eggs under there, and didn't want to disturb her, so we made sure she had water and food available, and waited to see whether she'd hatch anything.
Sunday was day 21, but no chicks and no sounds of peeping. She's still sitting on the nest, though, so we let her carry on a bit.
We've been puzzled by something else. The rest of the hens aren't laying as much. Maybe it's because the weather is getting colder.
This morning, I decided enough was enough. I lifted her off the nest, intending to destroy all the eggs on it. I figured if they hadn't hatched by now, they weren't going to. We didn't want to disturb her, so I hadn't candled them.
I had to laugh when I saw the nest she was sitting on 18 eggs! At least half of them were white, which means they came from the sole Leghorn.
She seems pretty healthy and is eating and drinking, so I let her get back on the nest. I realized the other hens must be climbing into the box with her and laying, and she was collecting the eggs to set on. Unfortunately, that would make the eggs all at different points in their development.
I figured she would start paying attention to chicks and leave the nest alone, but nothing is hatching.
So what should I do? At the moment, I'm planning to give her until Sunday (another three days.) At that point, she will have been sitting on the eggs for 28 days. If she has chicks, I'll give her another couple of days before shooing her off the nest and taking all the eggs. If not, I'll take them all and start taking them daily again.
If there's a better plan, please let me know.
As to the eggs, I'm assuming I need to chuck all of them, rather than try to see if any of them are still edible. I'm assuming that after being under a hen for even a couple of days, the eggs will have started development and not be good for eating anymore. Some of them probably are good to eat, as they were only laid today, but I can't tell which those are.
All help appreciated.
