Hen is laying fertilized eggs. Take it leave eggs?

[PortugalBantam]

I know what you mean. When I was in the USA and had chickens I had a silkie that was always broody. But I've also had hens that I just let keep their eggs and would naturally go broody after laying however many.
To be honest I wasn't even thinking that my hen might NOT go broody lol. Maybe I'm too optimistic. At the moment non of them are broody. Here's another question. If I fill a nest with dummy eggs will it r courage a potentially broody hen to go broody?

 

[Aphrael]

I know what you mean. When I was in the USA and had chickens I had a silkie that was always broody. But I've also had hens that I just let keep their eggs and would naturally go broody after laying however many.
To be honest I wasn't even thinking that my hen might NOT go broody lol. Maybe I'm too optimistic. At the moment non of them are broody. Here's another question. If I fill a nest with dummy eggs will it r courage a potentially broody hen to go broody?

If you have a hen that is already "thinking" about going broody, leaving a nest full of dummy eggs could tip her over the edge to broodiness, yes.

 

[mymilliefleur]

What breed is your hen?
If you do set a hen, make shore you mark the eggs with a pencil, since the other chickens may continue to lay in the same box, and you'll want to take eggs layed after the hens starts siting.

 

[mymilliefleur]

If you have a Silkie or a game then you can probably leave the eggs with out fear. Those breeds go broody like no tomorrow.

Then there's the problem of to many Broodys at one time. I hatched 60+ chicks one year with hens alone they do a much better job then the Incubator's.

 

[PortugalBantam]

It's the black hen in the photo. Someone said she looks like a cuckoo Maran but her eggs are small and whitish not dark brown

 

[PortugalBantam]

She looks particularly gamey in this photo but not in real life. When she is sitting in the nest getting ready to lay an egg she plays with the hay as if she is making the nest. Not sure if that's a sign of potential bloodiness or not.

 

[Aphrael]

She kinda looks like an ancona to me, and they lay smallish white eggs.

 

[PortugalBantam]

Here's a better shot of her.

 

[mymilliefleur]

It looks like you have a Bard Rock and a Speckled Susux. Bard Rocks don't often go broody ( I've never had one go broody in fact ) So it would be unlikely for her to go broody

.
Speckled Susux do go broody, but they arn'nt always the most reliable mothers. ( I know that from experience

)

 

[PortugalBantam]

I have a couple of bigger mixed breed hens that may be more the broody type. Tomorrow I'm going to put a clutch of "dummy" eggs on a nest box and see if that pushes any of them over the edge lol. Thank you've eryobe for all of your advice and knowledge. I could talk about chickens all day and it's nice to connect with others who can relate instead of laughing and making jokes.