Hens On Eggs!

[Rachel's Hobby Hatchery]

I got home from vacation a couple of hours ago. I have only two hens & they are both sitting on one nest (I havnt counted the eggs yet but there are more than they can keep warm). they have been setting for about 4 days now (the farm sitter said). Is there anything I should do for them? when can I candle the eggs for the first time?

 

[ADozenGirlz]

Rachel's Hobby Hatchery :

I got home from vacation a couple of hours ago. I have only two hens & they are both sitting on one nest (I havnt counted the eggs yet but there are more than they can keep warm). they have been setting for about 4 days now (the farm sitter said). Is there anything I should do for them? when can I candle the eggs for the first time?

Make sure they have easy access to food and water. That's about it. If you can get them to sit on one nest each, that would be preferable, but they may not go for it. You can candle the eggs any time really, but at 5 days (tomorrow) you should be able to get a good idea what's going on inside the eggs. With two broody hens, I hope you weren't planning on any scrambled eggs for breakfast any time soon!
Good luck and keep us posted!​

 

[Rachel's Hobby Hatchery]

OK, I finally got a count of eggs & a look at the nest. there are 13 eggs in each nest!!!!! the hens made two nests but they are so close together it looks like one until the hens get up.
my "speckles" keeps getting up & walking around all over... I dont know if she is really broody or not. I guess I will wait & see what she does.
"Onyx" is not keeping all of the eggs warm so when I candle in a couple of days I will remove any cold eggs.

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

if these hens are full size standard hens, they can easily handle 13 each...

 

[Rachel's Hobby Hatchery]

they are bantams. the most eggs I have ever had one hen hatch was 9.