- May 18, 2008
- 5
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I'm new here, and new to chickens. As luck would have it, we have a broody hen. She's been sitting on eggs for 10 days and I'd like to candle them. She's in a wire dog crate right now, for her own protection - the other hens were pecking her face bloody because she was taking up the "favorite" nesting box with her broodiness! So she and her nest are a little hard for me to get at, but I'm going to try. I read that you have to candle in the dark, so nighttime...but she's on top of the eggs all but a little while in morning and evening. I don't want to disturb her too much, but I do want to candle the eggs. Any suggestions on how to manage this?
She's continued laying since she started setting, and I'd like to cull out the dead or infertile/too-young eggs in the clutch. She has had eggs from other hens under her for 10 days also, so I assume those will probably hatch, but it sounds like once the first chicks are born the mother hen abandons sitting (is this true?)
I guess I have a lot to learn. Thanks for any suggestions you can give! I have several chicken books, but the info on broody hens is only very basic. Thanks.
- Amanda in VT
She's continued laying since she started setting, and I'd like to cull out the dead or infertile/too-young eggs in the clutch. She has had eggs from other hens under her for 10 days also, so I assume those will probably hatch, but it sounds like once the first chicks are born the mother hen abandons sitting (is this true?)
I guess I have a lot to learn. Thanks for any suggestions you can give! I have several chicken books, but the info on broody hens is only very basic. Thanks.
- Amanda in VT