New to hatching: Please help!

Psalge

In the Brooder
8 Years
Dec 14, 2011
23
0
22
This is the first time i've had any of my chickens go broody.
I have 2 hens that went broody on the same day, however i don't remember the day exactly. I'm so excited, and i don't want to mess anything up! They're sitting on like 10 eggs each. There is a rooster with my flock, so i know some have to be fertilized. I'm afraid if i pick up the eggs to do the candle light thing they won't sit on them anymore. (also i don't know exactly when i should do it because i don't remember when they started laying on the eggs) I've been reading and it says that the unfertilized ones will become rotten and could harm the ones that do hatch. What should i do?
Also, I built their nesting box out of an old desk. This is sitting ontop of something else about 2-3 feet off the ground. Since I don't know the date the babies will hatch, what should i do about the 2-3 feet drop?
Thanks guys!!
400
 
This is the first time i've had any of my chickens go broody.
I have 2 hens that went broody on the same day, however i don't remember the day exactly. I'm so excited, and i don't want to mess anything up! They're sitting on like 10 eggs each. There is a rooster with my flock, so i know some have to be fertilized. I'm afraid if i pick up the eggs to do the candle light thing they won't sit on them anymore. (also i don't know exactly when i should do it because i don't remember when they started laying on the eggs) I've been reading and it says that the unfertilized ones will become rotten and could harm the ones that do hatch. What should i do?
Also, I built their nesting box out of an old desk. This is sitting ontop of something else about 2-3 feet off the ground. Since I don't know the date the babies will hatch, what should i do about the 2-3 feet drop?
Thanks guys!!

OK, to start---did you collect some fresh eggs and mark them and put them all under the hens at the same time/day and every day remove any fresh layed eggs so the set eggs will all hatch at the same time?? Or did you allow them to just start setting on some eggs---unmarked and other hens lay and add to their nest when ever?

Having them 3 feet off the floor will not have a problem for the chicks getting down, will be a problem if the hen gets back into that nest to roost and leaves the babies on the ground----they will all die the first night that happens----so don't let that happen.
 
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OK, to start---did you collect some fresh eggs and mark them and put them all under the hens at the same time/day and every day remove any fresh layed eggs so the set eggs will all hatch at the same time?? Or did you allow them to just start setting on some eggs---unmarked and other hens lay and add to their nest when ever?

Having them 3 feet off the floor will not have a problem for the chicks getting down, will be a problem if the hen gets back into that nest to roost and leaves the babies on the ground----they will all die the first night that happens----so don't let that happen. 

Thanks for your reply! I collected all of the eggs not realizing they were broody. And i think two days passed before i realized they were. And i think the day after i closed the other hens off from laying their eggs in there ( they have a new area for now)
 
So two different days of eggs from everybody are under them (that laid in that cubby)
Is this bad?
 
I don't think that is bad, since the eggs should then be within a day of each other and broody hens don't really care whose eggs they're sitting on. I had a duck sit on about a dozen eggs once, hatched most of them, including one that wasn't even the same breed of duck as her, since I'd been putting any duck eggs I found into her nest for the few days before she began sitting.

Also, try to make sure the other chickens don't peck at the eggs. When I had that broody duck, she nested in the chicken's sleeping shed; they some how got one of her eggs and pecked it open shortly before it was set to hatch. I found it quickly and managed to save it, but I was surprised that it lived. I don't know if that's a common problem, but it may be something to watch out for.
 
So two different days of eggs from everybody are under them (that laid in that cubby)
Is this bad?

There is several ways you can do it------that should not be bad. Being you have them separated everything should go good. Good Luck
 
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