Need Help

[Sheila Adkins]

Hello all.. This is my first time to let my hen set on her eggs. We have 8 hens and two roosters.. When she first started setting on the eggs i was not concerend about anything. I was just going to let her do it all. I noticed then the other hens keep getting in the nest with her.. I am assuming they are laying in the nest with the eggs she already had in there.. NOw what do i do.. Do i candle all the eggs and take out the ones i dont see a chick in.. do i just let her continue to set on them all... I do not know what to do.. Not all of the nens are laying in the same box, some lay in the other nest. those i gather and take in the house to eat. I did notic too that they take turns keeping the eggs warm.. Thanks for all your suggestions.

 

[M@M@2four]

Quote:
Here's what I do--I mark the ones that are "set" with a pencil(I draw a start or something at the top)...then when new eggs are laid(check DAILY)--I remove those. Unless you want her to sit on straddled hatches--I have had several hens do that as well with no problem. Only problem it's best to remove babies once they've hatched into a brooder as they can get knocked out by accident and the hen just seems interested in sitting on eggs--not mothering! Hope that helps! If you have eggs that were set later, but already veining, I would not remove them--just mark all the ones that are veining or growing and again, remove the newly laid eggs.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I think M@M@2four gave you pretty good advice. Here is a link that will give you some more info.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=213218