I have 2 questions...

[SierraChickens]

I have 2 questions. How can I get my girls to lay on my eggs? I just recently baught 2 "broody" chickens and gave them some eggs, but they are not laying on them, and are not sowing any interest in the eggs. I am also wanting some of my other chickens to go broody as well. So how do I get my girls to lay on the eggs? The other question is with the picture provided, is this a fertile egg? It dosnt look like it in fertile egg pictures, but it also dosn't look like the infertile egg pictures also... so confusing. Thanks guys!

 

[Woytgirl]

To help with the candling:
How old are the eggs? And are they brown? I’ve candled a brown egg before, and thought it was a dud, so I almost threw it out. Luckily I didn’t, and I checked a few days later and I saw veins.

 

[andreanar]

Firstly, you cannot make a chicken go broody, its a hormonal thing and they do it on their own terms. You can "encourage" broodiness by leaving eggs or fake eggs in the nests. What do you mean by you just bought 2 broody hens? Were they broody at their last home? Or you bought broody breeds, like cochin or silkies? Anyhow, changing homes usually will break their broodiness, and even cause them to stop laying for awhile as they adjust to their new environment.

 

[SierraChickens]

The eggs are a light tan, almost white, but not. They are 3 days old of being in with the two hens. My Broody I ment they were broody at their old home. Sucks if they are not broody anymore, because i spent $25 on the 2, and there kinda mean. :/

 

[Crazy for Chickens!]

1. If you just got new birds, they will not brood. Why? Because they have been moved, and will be under stress. It usually takes chickens a couple weeks together settled in. Most likely they will not go back to setting.
2. Just because a bird may be a broody breed, does not mean they set all the time.
3. I don't know where you live, but if it's fall there, hens don't sit as readily as in the spring. Spring is when they usually brood the most.
4. To encourage your hens to set, make sure your nest are secluded and dark. Also, leave a few eggs in each nest. You can gather the old ones, and leave the new every day.
5. When a hen is broody She will set on the nest day and night. Let her do this for a couple days to make sure, before you set eggs under her. Also, when you do let them set, it needs to be separate from the others. Just to make sure you know, ere is no guarantee they will set. If you do what I said above, that's about it. You will just have to hope.
6. Sadly, you can't tell if an egg is fertile by candling. You can take an egg or two from each one, and crack it open. If there's a small circle, with a white ring around it, it is fertile. If a hens egg is fertile when you crack it open, it's most likely that all her eggs will be.
7. After you set eggs under a hen, you can candle in the first few days, and look for blood vessels and/or the small embryo. These show up at approx. 2-3 days of incubation. That way you will know early on what is developing and what is not. AKA: what is fertile and what wasn't. You can throw out thrones that aren't developing.

I wish you the best of luck!

 

[Woytgirl]

At day 3, sometimes you’re not able to see the veins yet. Check again on day 7, the veins will be more developed if they’re fertile.Maybe the hens will become broody again after they’re more adjusted to their new home. The meaness could just be because of the stress of moving or that they’re not used to you yet. However, my hen is always mean and grumpy when she’s broody.

 

[Crazy for Chickens!]

At day 3, you’re not able to see the veins yet. Check again on day 7, that’s the earliest that the veins are able to show while candling them. Maybe the hens will become broody again after they’re more adjusted to their new home. The meaness could just be because of the stress of moving or that they’re not used to you yet. However, my hen is always mean and grumpy when she’s broody.

I candle my eggs at days 2 and 3 to see the blood vessels and the embryo.

 

[Woytgirl]

I candle my eggs at days 2 and 3 to see the blood vessels and the embryo.

Sorry, made a mistake. That’s for browner eggs. That was from my experience with a brown egg.

 

[Crazy for Chickens!]

Sorry, made a mistake. That’s for browner eggs. That was from my experience with a brown egg.

Ok. So your just saying you have to wait longer to see it because the shell is darker.

 

[Woytgirl]

Ok. So your just saying you have to wait longer to see it because the shell is darker.

Yes.