Hen is laying fertilized eggs. Take it leave eggs?

[PortugalBantam]

My hen has laid two eggs in the last two days. I'm sure they are fertilized. My question is: should I just leave the eggs and hope that she sets after laying a few more or should I take the eggs and save them until she or another hen "goes broody"?

 

[bobbi-j]

Take them. You never know when a hen is going to go broody. If you want to hatch chicks on your time, you'll want to get an incubator. If it doesn't matter to you when you get chicks, hang onto the eggs and wait for a broody.

 

[PortugalBantam]

Take them. You never know when a hen is going to go broody. If you want to hatch chicks on your time, you'll want to get an incubator. If it doesn't matter to you when you get chicks, hang onto the eggs and wait for a broody. 

I was always under the impression that if you leave the eggs the hen will go broody once she is done laying her clutch.

 

[bobbi-j]

Not necessarily. Some hens just lay and lay and never go broody. I've also had a broody hen set on an empty nest.

 

[TheBeardie]

I was always under the impression that if you leave the eggs the hen will go broody once she is done laying her clutch.

People have bread chickens to stop going broody.They want pretty show chickens not hens that keep going broody. So now people have to incubate to have offspring when the hens are not doing whats usually comes naturally. If people would stop incubating, most chicken breeds would go extinct.

 

[PortugalBantam]

So I should just assume that this particular hen will not go broody?

 

[TheBeardie]

She Might she might not.there is not a way to tell.

 

[bobbi-j]

So I should just assume that this particular hen will not go broody?

You can't really assume either way. Not all hens have had broodyness bred out of them. Hatchery birds tend to go broody less than heritage birds, but I've had hatchery chickens hatch out chicks. I've also had heritage birds not go broody ever. As Ridgerunner always says, they are living animals and you can't predict what they're going to do every time. Every chicken is different.

Here's what I would do. I would keep collecting the eggs, keeping them fairly cool but not necessarily refrigerated, and see what happens. If I wanted to be hatching chicks out ASAP, I'd get an incubator. If I don't really care when or if I had chicks hatching, I'd just keep the most fresh eggs available in case a hen does go broody and give them to her. If she doesn't go broody, I'd keep making angel food cake, omelettes and whatever else I can think to use those eggs for.

You're the only one who can decide what to do. What are your goals for your flock? Are you breeding a specific bird? Do you want chicks soon? Do you have a plan for the extra cockerels you're going to get? Do you have room for more chickens?

 

[PortugalBantam]

People have bread chickens to stop going broody.They want pretty show chickens not hens that keep going broody. So now people have to incubate to have offspring when the hens are not doing whats usually comes naturally. If people would stop incubating, most chicken breeds would go extinct.

You can't really assume either way. Not all hens have had broodyness bred out of them. Hatchery birds tend to go broody less than heritage birds, but I've had hatchery chickens hatch out chicks. I've also had heritage birds not go broody ever. As Ridgerunner always says, they are living animals and you can't predict what they're going to do every time. Every chicken is different. 

Here's what I would do. I would keep collecting the eggs, keeping them fairly cool but not necessarily refrigerated, and see what happens. If I wanted to be hatching chicks out ASAP, I'd get an incubator. If I don't really care when or if I had chicks hatching, I'd just keep the most fresh eggs available in case a hen does go broody and give them to her. If she doesn't go broody, I'd keep making angel food cake, omelettes and whatever else I can think to use those eggs for.

You're the only one who can decide what to do. What are your goals for your flock? Are you breeding a specific bird? Do you want chicks soon? Do you have a plan for the extra cockerels you're going to get? Do you have room for more chickens? 

Thank you for your response. I definite do t want to use an incubator. I guess my thought is that if I keep taking this particular hens eggs I may actually be preventing her from going broody. Isn't that so?

As far as my goals with my flock. It's strictly for fun. I like to mix and match different types of birds to see what different traits get passed down to the chicks.

 

[bobbi-j]

Thank you for your response. I definite do t want to use an incubator. I guess my thought is that if I keep taking this particular hens eggs I may actually be preventing her from going broody. Isn't that so?

As far as my goals with my flock. It's strictly for fun. I like to mix and match different types of birds to see what different traits get passed down to the chicks.

No - like I said, I've had broodies sit in an empty nest box before. I give them a day or two to make sure they really mean it, then I give them eggs. Or, a broody will hop into the *ONE* nest box that everyone uses (there are plenty of other options, but apparently only ONE will work) and growl at me when I pick the eggs. She will usually stay there whether there are eggs under her or not.