So I have a special breeding plan. I do not breed any hens that are less than a year old/have not been through their (at least) first moult. I always use an incubator, and I keep the Chicks away from the flock until about 6mos old. The purpose of these measures is breeding for resistance to disease/healthy breeding practices. This is a result of coming into contact with LL awhile back. My flock is currently closed.
I noticed the last few days that one of my pullets (about 8-9months old) was missing for large parts of the time. My flock free ranges, so it is common for me to not see EVERY bird when I go out there. I didn't think much of it until the last couple of days when I noticed she didn't even come running for feeding and treats. Night before last she slept in the coop, but last night she was MIA.
So begins the chicken hunt. It ended rather abruptly when I found her in the bushes by the front porch (right under my nose the whole time)! She is sitting on a clutch. No idea how old it is but from what I could see, there is one egg that she has rolled away from the nest (unviable, I assume). So apparently the eggs are old enough that I can't just toss them. Right? I have no idea who contributed to the nest or how old it is. I have an incubator and a "clean room" with a sanitary brooder. Should I take the eggs to the bator or let her finish them? Because I do not know what hens these eggs came from, I have no idea if the LL has been vertically passed to any of the eggs. If so, all chicks will be horizontally exposed regardless of what I do. Usually I only take hatching eggs from hens that I know are not shedding the virus, incubate them, and practice extreme sanitary measures so that the chicks are not horizontally exposed (by adding to the flock) until at least 6months, at which point their immune systems are able to develop resistance.
Should I just call this clutch a wild card and let her do it naturally? Or should I dispose of the eggs? Please advise. Thanks!
I noticed the last few days that one of my pullets (about 8-9months old) was missing for large parts of the time. My flock free ranges, so it is common for me to not see EVERY bird when I go out there. I didn't think much of it until the last couple of days when I noticed she didn't even come running for feeding and treats. Night before last she slept in the coop, but last night she was MIA.
So begins the chicken hunt. It ended rather abruptly when I found her in the bushes by the front porch (right under my nose the whole time)! She is sitting on a clutch. No idea how old it is but from what I could see, there is one egg that she has rolled away from the nest (unviable, I assume). So apparently the eggs are old enough that I can't just toss them. Right? I have no idea who contributed to the nest or how old it is. I have an incubator and a "clean room" with a sanitary brooder. Should I take the eggs to the bator or let her finish them? Because I do not know what hens these eggs came from, I have no idea if the LL has been vertically passed to any of the eggs. If so, all chicks will be horizontally exposed regardless of what I do. Usually I only take hatching eggs from hens that I know are not shedding the virus, incubate them, and practice extreme sanitary measures so that the chicks are not horizontally exposed (by adding to the flock) until at least 6months, at which point their immune systems are able to develop resistance.
Should I just call this clutch a wild card and let her do it naturally? Or should I dispose of the eggs? Please advise. Thanks!
