OEGB Clutch Size

[Kendyr]

I recently ended up with two OEGB hens (the only chickens currently occupying my coop), and I decided to let them have their first clutch because they had access to a rooster very shortly before I acquired them. However, they are both laying in the same nest, and there are now too many eggs for one hen to cover completely (13 and counting). The last two mornings, I've found an egg shoved out of the nest – not sure if it was the same egg – and poop in the nest. It was down in the 30s both nights. Question 1) are these eggs still viable if they weren't kept semi-warm by the hen at those temperatures, and 2) should I start removing some of the eggs so one hen can fit over the entire clutch? I'm afraid removing any eggs might induce them to just continually keep laying and never start brooding. I'm also afraid that even if one of them started brooding today, the eggs wouldn't be consistently heated due to a lack of hen bottom surface area. I welcome any advice!

 

[SeaPolka]

As far as I know hens' eggs stay fertile for around 10-14 days after being mated. So after that, if stored correctly, they'll stay viable for upto 12 days? I've kept some of mine for ten days and they still hatched. The chance your hens will go broody especially in winter is pretty slim and winter can be harsh on broody raised chicks. There's no way to make them broody either. I'd pop the eggs in an incubator. If by any chance your hens did go broody you would have wanted to collect the eggs everyday so they don't get dirty and store them point down, some turn them too, mark them and place them under the hen in one go, and also they will know once they're broody not to poop in the nest. You can use plastic eggs in place of the real eggs. Depending on the size of the eggs I only put a maximum of 12 under my hens

 

[sylviethecochin]

Get some fake eggs (golf balls, ping pong balls, etc.) put them in the nest. Bring your eggs inside and let them sit. Wait and see if one of the hens goes broody.

 

[Kendyr]

As far as I know hens' eggs stay fertile for around 10-14 days after being mated. So after that, if stored correctly, they'll stay viable for upto 12 days? I've kept some of mine for ten days and they still hatched. The chance your hens will go broody especially in winter is pretty slim and winter can be harsh on broody raised chicks. There's no way to make them broody either. I'd pop the eggs in an incubator. If by any chance your hens did go broody you would have wanted to collect the eggs everyday so they don't get dirty and store them point down, some turn them too, mark them and place them under the hen in one go, and also they will know once they're broody not to poop in the nest. You can use plastic eggs in place of the real eggs. Depending on the size of the eggs I only put a maximum of 12 under my hens

Thanks for that info! Assuming the eggs are fertilized, is it likely they are still viable after the last two cold nights (in the 30s)?

 

[SeaPolka]

Thanks for that info! Assuming the eggs are fertilized, is it likely they are still viable after the last two cold nights (in the 30s)?

farenhite? I'm not sure what that would be in Celsius but as long as the water is not freezing over I'd say they're still good, just gently bring them up to inside temps