How To Mark Broody Hens Eggs?

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
I have 2 silkies that always brood, hatch, and raise their chicks together. I'd just mark the eggs they are supposed to have so you can remove any new eggs. My 2 silkies had 5 babies at last count, with 4 or 5 more eggs to go

 

[Ridgerunner]

There are many different ways to mark eggs. I've used a soft-leaded pencil, turned it in it side to make a broad band instead of a sharp point, and made a couple bands all the way around the egg, one the long way around and one the short way. You do need to rub some graphite on there because a light mark will wear off. Sharpies or permanent magic markers have worked well for me. I've never tried the Crayolas. They obviously work because other people use them and eggs hatch. You can get arguments against each method but they all obviously work because people hatch eggs using them.

Whether or not to isolate a broody from a flock while she is setting on her eggs? There are risks both ways. People successfully do it both ways and some people have problems both ways. Might I suggest you check out this thread and try to decide which is right for you.

Isolate a Broody? Thread
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=213218

Whether or not to let a broody hen raise her chicks with the flock? Chickens have been doing this successfully for thousands of years. There are risks both ways. In my opinion, the biggest factor in your decision should be how much room Mama has to work with. If Mama has sufficient room to work, it is highly unlikely the other hens will kill the chicks. As Elmo said, Mama usually has such a bad attitude that the other chickens quickly learn to leave the chicks alone. But if Mama does not have enough room to work or she is not as protective as she should be, bad things can happen. I personally think the benefits of Mama taking care of the integration issues for her chicks far outways the risks of letting her raise them with the flock, but I have sufficient room. You might check out this thread for more opinions and discussion on this.

Raise with flock? thread
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=215937&p=1

No one right answer is right for each and every one of us on most of the questions posted on this site. There are usually benefits and disadvantages of each and every position. It is called tradeoffs. If we all had exactly the same number of chickens that had exactly the same personalities in coops and runs the exact same size in exactly the same climactic conditions and used exactly the same management techniques, then maybe one answer would fit us all. That is not the real world. We all have our different experiences. You need to read through the experiences and recomendations and decide which circumstances best fit your situation.

Good luck! This does not have to give you ulcers. Make a resonable decision and either way will probably work well for you.

 

[Megsie01]

Hi! A Sharpie Permanent Marker is safe to mark the eggs and will not rub off.
Good luck with your eggs!

Lisa

No it’s not! A non toxic food safe marker is, sharpie is no good

 

[raingarden]

I use china markers. It's a grease pencil sort like a crayon but holds a point better. They are called "china markers" because they will write on a slick surface like porcelain china.

It seems to me that once a hen starts sitting in earnest, she and the other hens will stop laying more eggs in the nest. Your other hens must be more assertive.