Hen laying on eggs. *newbie*

[shanen544]

Gotcha are the ones we will remove good to eat still? I can't post pics mt service is terrible.

 

[junebuggena]

They should be fine to eat. It takes a couple days of incubation for development to be noticeable.

 

[shortgrass]

If you have a rooster, it's a safe bet that all eggs laid by any hen are fertile. The point of removing eggs that are added to the clutch from this time on, is so that you don't have three eggs hatch and four or five with another week of incubation left to go. A day or two after the first one hatches, the hen abandons the nest to take care of the hatched chicks. She can't sit on eggs and take care of little ones.

I was concerned about the banty roo being able to um, "service" the bigger hens... But those little guys have a way, don't they? I ask because my daughter's silkie roo is coming up on puberty and I DON'T want his little fluffy DNA in my spring chicks lol...

And yes on the eggs you gather from now being ok to eat. Gathered daily of course, they will be just fine

 

[shanen544]

Yeah I was shocked he's like half there size lol he's all feathers hes leaves his kind alone and goes after the big ones we had to separate our silky hen because they almost pecked her to death

 

[shanen544]

How long is normal for them to be off the nest?

 

[junebuggena]

Up to 30 minutes at a time, a couple times a day. If she's off the nest longer than that, then she might not be full blown broody yet.

 

[SpoilMyPooch]

We have 5 chickens 1 bantham rooster 1bantham hen and 3 egg hens pullets. 1 of the pullets is laying on her eggs today they were not there yesterday she made her own nest out of the hay, she has left a few time to free range with the others for a few minutes but go right back. Anything I need to know? Will she lay more before these hatch? Will they hatch together? When should I seperate her and the offspring? We already had to take the silky chicken out because they were going to kill her and they have all been together since chicks. Thanks!

Yes, if you are sure that they are fertile, it sounds almost definite that your hen is broody. It is therefore very unlikely that she will lay any more eggs. The eggs will hatch together. As has been said already, you need to mark these original 5 eggs and collect on a daily basis any additional eggs that appear under her. That will probably be the easiest thing for you to do as a beginner. But, hens will collect eggs that are laid over a number of days, sit on them and these eggs will all hatch within a day or so of each other. Kimberley Willis and Robert Ludlow said this is "The Dummies Guide to Raising Chickens" and Gail Damerow says it in "Storey's Guide to Chickens" which are two of the best books written about chicken keeping. The difference can be up to a week. Also some hens might not settle down until they are sitting on about 8 or 9 eggs- but that something that you will only know when it happens!

As the hen is a first time broody (who are more liable to abandon eggs than a more mature hen) you might want to see if you can get an incubator or find another broody locally as a "Plan B".

It also sounds as if you might need to separate the hen and these eggs from the rest of the crop- I am saying that because of your statement about having to remove your Silkie. A dog crate and or an rabbit hutch will suffice as a place to put the broody and her eggs. If that is the case then you won't need to mark and collect eggs.

Keep asking questions and have confidence in your hens!

 

[shanen544]

Yes, if you are sure that they are fertile, it sounds almost definite that your hen is broody. It is therefore very unlikely that she will lay any more eggs. The eggs will hatch together. As has been said already, you need to mark these original 5 eggs and collect on a daily basis any additional eggs that appear under her. That will probably be the easiest thing for you to do as a beginner. But, hens will collect eggs that are laid over a number of days, sit on them and these eggs will all hatch within a day or so of each other. Kimberley Willis and Robert Ludlow said this is "The Dummies Guide to Raising Chickens" and Gail Damerow says it in "Storey's Guide to Chickens" which are two of the best books written about chicken keeping. The difference can be up to a week. Also some hens might not settle down until they are sitting on about 8 or 9 eggs- but that something that you will only know when it happens!

As the hen is a first time broody (who are more liable to abandon eggs than a more mature hen) you might want to see if you can get an incubator or find another broody locally as a "Plan B".  

It also sounds as if you might need to separate the hen and these eggs from the rest of the crop- I am saying that because of your statement about having to remove your Silkie. A dog crate and or an rabbit hutch will suffice as a place to put the broody and her eggs. If that is the case then you won't need to mark and collect eggs. 

Keep asking questions and have confidence in your hens!

Thanks so much! Thats why I mentioned our silky it was pretty bad, she stays our by our home now and when they free range they will even come over and try to peck her! We are getting new cages tomorrow so we will separate her and the eggs then she's been off the nest for about 30 mins now I'm going to keep checking and see if she stays off or goes back on. The kids check the coup everyday and get any eggs if there in there usually there in the garden or corn field this is the first time we had any in a nest in the coup and the first time any of them have ever sat on them. The kids are over excited for chicks and been asking when we would have some sonwhen they saw her sitting all day they were so excited so i hope she keeps it up!

 

[shanen544]

Also how can I be sure they ate fertile he has been on all of them.

 

[shanen544]

She's been off for probably an hour now its also just rained a good bit so there all outside in the fenced in area its been so hot here and they have no shade but the coup so I know their enjoying the coolness