My Hens Are Laying! Now What?

[Iamaqte]

I am at work right now.. I will go home and take one tonight and post it in the morning.

The ones that are laying I got from a friend of mine.. they said they were great layers... I was just hoping to get some babies....

 

[wegotchickens]

2 questions I have for others who've answered, since I had some of Iamaqte's questions, too...

1) I was told the eggs weren't really fertile when the hens first started laying, that it took a while for things to 'connect' so that eggs were actually hatchable? Like the first couple of months were "practice" eggs?

2) How long should you wait before pulling the eggs away? If you dated an egg for today, would you leave it there for 2-3 weeks?

Thanks!

 

[Iamaqte]

I would to know those answers too!

I am going home and marking all the eggs with todays date. Granted some have been there for a few days.. but I will just keep watch.

What can i use to write on the eggs?

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Okay, Let's see if I can answer those....If they are pullets just starting to lay I would wait acouple months before trying to use them as hatching eggs...the longer the better....

A pencil, felt tip pen anything that will show the date...I would not leave eggs longer then a week...they will either explode or start seeping...if you happen to get a hen that wants to set use wooden eggs or plastic ones...if she really is broody for a few days then set your eggs...

Your pic you showed from feathersite does look like production red hens they don't make the best hen to hatch eggs.....like someone else said get a Buff Orpington or Silkie...a Light Brahma also makes good broody hens...

You have to have a nice set up if your going for chicks in the dead of winter....

 

[peeps7]

Tell my hens that!!! When my hens started laying I didn't have a mating rooster, I got a new rooster and the next egg she layed was fertilized. One of my hens layed her first egg today and I haven't checked fertility yet but when I do I'll let you know.

 

[Rafter 7 Paint Horses]

Iamaqte

The picture you posted is of a Red Sex Link aka Red Star Sex Link.

At hatch the females & males are color sexed so it is easy to tell which is which. These are a hybrid chicken and will not breed true. Meaning you will not be able to sex the chicks they hatch by color.
Some people say not to breed sex links chickens. I do it all the time. I like to use heavy egg laying breed roosters, like Rhode Island Reds or Delaware on the red hens. I get pretty chicks, just not purebred, and the hens when grown are good egg producers.

Just thought I would jump in and let you know what kind of chickens you have if they look like the picture you posted.

Jean

 

[Rafter 7 Paint Horses]

I decided to add some other stuff.
I have Red Star Sex Links to lay eggs for selling. They are great layers. This breed is not known as a great setter, but I always have a few who didn't read that about the breed. Mine were hatched March 12, 2007. I now have 2 that have gone broody. I have let this breed set before & they made good mothers. Since I want eggs, I don't often let them hatch.

My advice to you would be to throw out the eggs that are in the nests. All of them!! Collect all the eggs every day and eat them.
When one of your hens decides to go broody, you will know it. She will not get off the nest. She will be fluffed up and if you take her out of the nest and put her on the floor of the coop, she will just sit there and fuss loudly at you. If she has not gone broody, when you take her out of the nest, she will leave.
There is no need to waste good eggs for no reason. They will go broody without anything to set on, and they will be laying regular anyway, so you will have eggs to put under her when its time.
To my knowledge, there is nothing you can do to make a hen go broody, they will when they are ready.
Some breeds are naturally more broody than others, like the ones mentioned in earlier posts.

Make sure you have a place set up for your hen to raise chicks in when one decides to go broody. Move her into a nest in the area you have set up for her. You need to watch her, she will need to be setting in the new nest for at least a couple of days to make sure she doesn't break up "stop wanting to set". Then you can give her eggs to set. Usually you can just lay an egg in front of her & she will scoot it under her. Otherwise, you can put the eggs under her, but watch out, she will peck & fuss at you. You can do it after dark & it will be easier for you.

Hope this helps you

Jean

 

[Iamaqte]

Thank you all so much for the great information!!!

My Digital Camera was not cooperating last night so i couldnt get any pictures....

I am going to take all the eggs out tonight and collect the eggs daily unless i see one staying on her nest. I will follow your advice (Jean)... All sounds good to me.

I did however find one of my ducks in the one of the chickens nesting boxes sitting on eggs and she isnt moving.. LOL.... I have to older metal nesting boxes where there are like 8 attached to each other.. She squeezes into the one... I am going to leave her be since she hasnt moved.

If you think of anything else I should know please write it down in here!

Thanks again!!
~ Patti

 

[eggzettera]

You may want to collect the eggs and leave them out on the counter. If your hen decides to go broody you can put the eggs under her and if fertile, they will hatch out. You can still eat the eggs, they can remain out on the counter for a week or more.....I am just saying you may not want to keep up the American habit of immediately putting them in the fridge, while some can claim they have hatched out eggs that have gone there, its generally accepted it does not help.

 

[peeps7]

If you want, if your duck is broody, put the chicken eggs under the duck. She will sit on them if she's broody but you might have to take the chicks from her when they hatch because she will try and teach them how to swim and they will drown. It's worth a shot.