New to eggs

[Emily sprouse]

Hey everyone! I'm new to this page and new to poultry.
I have a frizzle serama hen and a smooth roo.
She just laid an egg today but didn't really bother sitting on it? I really want to see if they will do it natural. She is about 2 years old and I just got the pair... the lady had them in a garage. So I figured I'd just give them a good home and if she lays, she lays.
How long do I have to see if she will lay?
And when should I incubate??

I also had my 5-7 month old Japanese duckswing bantams and she has just had an egg also. Her first, she laid it and left it alone but now is back on it.
Any advice helps

 

[PD-Riverman]

Just because she is laying does not mean she will set and "IF" she wanted to set it would be some time later----after she lays a while. If you want to try to encourage her to set----get a few fake eggs---collect her eggs and replace with a fake---for the first few. You would need to keep the eggs in your cool home and tilt them a couple times a day. In about 10 days if she does not set---then put them in a incubator, then if she decides to set after the incubator has started you can place the eggs that are incubating under her and cut the incubator off BUT never Add more eggs after the day the eggs are started incubating---if you did that would create a staggered hatch which is Not a Good thing.

 

[rIrs roost]

Jut because a hen lays an egg doesn't mean that she will sit on it and hatch it. If you're wanting her to sit on it you could try to leave the eggs in there and she may want to go broody and hatch some babies. Not all hens will go broody.

 

[Emily sprouse]

The duckwing is laying on hers.

 

[rIrs roost]

Also mark the eggs if she decides to sit so you know which ones to leave under her. But if the duck can't get to her net and you have no more hens, you won't have to mark them because when a hen is broody they stop laying.

 

[Emily sprouse]

All my girls are separate.. My seramas are only with their mate.
Duckwing is with another hen which is the same kind a roo of the same kind.

 

[rIrs roost]

almost forgot. Welcome to Byc.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Production (laying) and brooding (incubating) are two seperate things. Broodiness involves a change in hormones and actually results in a cessation of laying while the bird is broody. Some hens spend their whole lives in a state of Broodiness and others go their whole life without going broody once.

 

[Emily sprouse]

So I just need to see what they do with the egg?

 

[rIrs roost]

So I just need to see what they do with the egg?

Yes. let her lay a few more and keep them in there or put golfballs or fake eggs in the nest. he may or may not go broody like Mare said. ome will and some won't.