How many eggs can she handle?

[Mamaboid]

OK, my little black cochin mama went broody 2 days ago. She started on 5 eggs of various sizes and breeds. She is collecting eggs and now somehow has 8 under her. Do I just let her collect? How many can she handle, she is not all that big. It has been 15 years since I had chickens the last time, and I cannot remember what they did back then.

Thanks for your help.

 

[mstricer]

She will pull under her as many as are laid next to her. Have fun, my Spitzenhauben is hatching out Blue Maran. You can mark the eggs you want her to have and take away the ones you don't.
Michele

 

[Lollipop]

Quote:
You should mark the ones she has now and don`t let her have any more. Take out any eggs added after yesturday. If you keep adding eggs to the nest it will result in a poor hatch. The later eggs will not develope before she leaves the nest with the first chicks. Also, if she has more eggs than she can comfortably cover, some will get rotated out in the cold as she turns them, also resulting in a poor hatch. Have fun.........Pop