Hen isn't sitting on eggs yet

[SAMnELLA]

There are 7 eggs and the hen isn't sitting on them. Is it ok that the rooster is in the same cage ? Will the eggs go rotten ?

 

[Pyxis]

A hen won't sit on eggs until she is broody, so if she never goes broody she'll never sit on the eggs. What breed of hen is it? Some breeds are very likely to go broody, while others almost never do.

 

[JaceAgain]

You collect those and eat them

what do you have in a cage?

 

[SAMnELLA]

She is a Dominique hen. Is it possible she doesn't think she has enough yet ?

 

[SAMnELLA]

After 8 days you can still eat them ??? There are two hens and a rooster in the coop which has an attached run. Wouldn't there be a chick growing in there ? or does it only start to grow when they sit on them ? So many questions LOL !

 

[Pyxis]

The chick only grows when she starts to sit on them, so there won't be a growing chick in the eggs. Dominiques are generally a broody breed so she may sit on eggs for you but it's entirely controlled by hormones. She doesn't decide to sit, she is hormonally triggered to and unfortunately there is no way to make it happen. When she goes broody she will stop laying eggs and spend all day on the nest, except for a quick break to eat, drink, and poop.

 

[SAMnELLA]

How long should I let the eggs pile up ?

 

[aart]

How long should I let the eggs pile up ?

Letting the eggs pile up in the nest will not make your hen want to sit on them and hatch them.

You should gather eggs every day for eating, not let them sit in the nests for days on end.

If your hen does go broody, by sitting on a nest for 3 days and nights,
(and acting crabby, hissing, growling, biting, flattening out)
then you can give her fertile eggs to hatch.

 

[SAMnELLA]

I understand how a broody hen acts. I have two other hens that are sitting on only one egg each. But I have heard that some hens won't sit on them until they think they have laid enough eggs. But anyway, this morning she was in the nest the whole time we were out doing our morning walk/jog. So maybe......

 

[SAMnELLA]

Nope