Hen still laying eggs while incubating them.

[Ayanda1978]

Good day everyone

I have a potch koekoek that laid 7 eggs and started sitting on them 19 days ago. A few days after she started incubating them I noticed that there were 8 eggs. I was just wondering if it is normal for a chicken to continue laying while its sitting on the eggs and if the fact that the other egg was there later than the others won't negetively affect its chances of hatching.

Thanks

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello there and welcome to BYC!

Sometimes a hens reproductive tract can release another egg while incubating. But chances are she will not wait around long enough for it to hatch. When the chicks start hatching, she will concentrate on the hatched babies and probably abandon this unhatched egg. So you might be ready at the end to finish the hatching process if she does in deed abandon this egg.

Good luck with your broody hatch and welcome to our flock!

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! If other hens have access to the broody's nesting box, they will often lay eggs in there. With split hatches, as TwoCrows said, often the hen won't stay on the nest long enough for the latest laid eggs to hatch, or if most chicks are hatched late, she may stay on too long for the first hatched chicks to survive.

 

[sumi]

Welcome to BYC

Glad you joined us! I've often seen adds one more egg to the clutch when they start sitting. The eggs all hatched when due and more or less at the same time. Good luck with the hatch!

 

[Mountain Peeps]

Welcome to BYC! Please make yourself at home and we are here to help.

Two Crows has given you great info.

 

[liz9910]

Welcome to BYC! You've received some good advice here, best of luck to you.

 

[drumstick diva]

Is there any chance that another hen may have laid an egg in the nest?

 

[gander007]

 

[Frindizzle]

Hello and….

from Washington! BYC is the best fowl website you can find.

I hope you feel glad you signed up! In our flock we have great people and it is always great to have a new member In our flock, we have no pecking order!

By the way, not saying that you will do anything bad, but no fowl play

TwoCrows has great info.


Good luck!

 

[Michael OShay]

Welcome to BYC! You have received some good information from the other BYC members. Good luck with the incubation and hatching.