I should take out the eggs right?

[flockof4]

I just got my first egg and I want to make sure that I should take these first few eggs out. They don't need one in there for any reason do they?

 

[flockof4]

The eggs are for eating, they're not to hatch chicks.

 

[FairfieldChicks]

You can take them out or if your hen is sitting on them can let her try to hatch them, if you have a rooster. bu if nothin else to do wit hthem, put em in ur fridge and use em for brekky

 

[dancingbear]

Since they just started laying, they aren't likely to go broody for awhile. Even then, you don't need to leave any eggs unless you want to hatch some.

 

[12GAGirl]

Yes, I would pick the eggs up for sure. If they rot in there it can make the hens sick.

 

[chickenjen]

Since they just started laying, they aren't likely to go broody for awhile.

Tell that to my broody lady! The first egg was not even a month ago and she has been semi-broody for over a week!

 

[dancingbear]

Quote:
Tell that to my broody lady! The first egg was not even a month ago and she has been semi-broody for over a week!

Yeah, that can happen, but usually doesn't. That's why I only said unlikely, not impossible. I have a had a few that went broody very soon after they started to lay, but most will lay at least a couple of months before that happens, and of course, if they're a non-broody or seldom-broody breed, they may not ever go broody.

In any case, no reason to leave the eggs in the nest, until you have a broody, and want to let her hatch eggs.

 

[Fanny]

I would take out the eggs and eat them...

but I would maybe put some golf balls in there though - your first hen seemed to know where to lay, but it can't hurt to give the others a hint just in case

 

[flockof4]

Good idea, Fanny. The coop has all sorts of shelves and different areas that they could lay in. But I'd prefer if they lay in a few select spots so that I can find the eggs easily. I'll put a golf ball or two in the nesting boxes and hope that gets the message across.

 

[Akane]

Remove all eggs. Leave golf balls or fake eggs if they need something in the nest to get them to keep laying in the correct spot or if you want to try to trigger one to go broody. Eggs are likely to go bad before a hen gets around to sitting on them and then you have to keep straight which eggs are fresh and which ones you left sit around.

chickenjen wrote:

Since they just started laying, they aren't likely to go broody for awhile.

Tell that to my broody lady! The first egg was not even a month ago and she has been semi-broody for over a week! wink

And my silly seramas. All 5 hens hadn't been laying a month when one by one they decided to start going broody. They are picking the worst spots possible though so I keep moving them but they are too stubborn to sit where I tell them. After a few days the one or 2 I've been moving give up and within 2 days another is collecting eggs and puffing up at me in the barest, dirtiest, highest traffic corner she can find. I've hardly gotten any eggs from them because from the time they've been old enough to lay they have been set on hatching the eggs from the 3 sebright hens in with them.​