Please HELP me with my broody hen!

[Chicken0Boy]

Ok, so my 2 broody hens are not budging till they hatch some eggs! They have sat for 25 days now so I am gonna give them some eggs. The only bad thing is I don't have any eggs, well 1 but still....Now to my question! How many days can I collect eggs for a broody with the eggs still having a good chance of hatching? (I was thinking 5 days) And how should I store the eggs I am wanting to hatch/brood? Fridge, Room temp., or something else? I dont have an incubator.

Help Please!

 

[Sunny Side Up]

You can store eggs for up to a week and still have a good hatch rate, you can even keep them longer but may not get as good results. Keep them at room temperature in an egg carton, pointy end down. Write AM and PM on each end. In the mornings raise the AM side up a few inches (set it on a book) in the evening switch ends so the PM side is up. This helps keep the yolk centered.

Before you give your hens the eggs check them well for mites or lice. Also, change the bedding in their nest, maybe sprinkle some insecticidal dust in the nest & in your hens' feathers.

And make your plans NOW for any & all unwanted roosters you may get.

Let us know how well they hatch! I wish you great success!

 

[Chicken0Boy]

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Ok I dont get the AM and PM side thingy could you explain more into detail, if possible?

 

[mmaddie's mom]

Quote:
Ok I dont get the AM and PM side thingy could you explain more into detail, if possible?

Just means to turn your eggs twice a day... the am/pm thing is just to help you keep track.
Oops... just reread... now I think it means to raise a different end of the carton twice a day.
I think the point is to not let them settle on one side or the other.
Now if that is still not right, then someone explain it to me.

 

[ChickadeeMom]

good luck...i let me broody (well it turned into 3 broodies in the same nest) sit on an egg i got off ebay for 25 days and then i cracked it open since it had been so long and it wasnt even fertile!!! poor broody

good luck...keep us posted

 

[Chicken0Boy]

mmaddie's mom :

Quote:
Ok I dont get the AM and PM side thingy could you explain more into detail, if possible?

Just means to turn your eggs twice a day... the am/pm thing is just to help you keep track.
Oops... just reread... now I think it means to raise a different end of the carton twice a day.
I think the point is to not let them settle on one side or the other.
Now if that is still not right, then someone explain it to me.

Does it matter which side the AM and Pm are on?

 

[ChickadeeMom]

no it shouldnt that just lets you know when your eggs have been 'exercised' i use the x and o method

 

[Chicken0Boy]

Ok, Thank you!

 

[Sunny Side Up]

I'm sorry I wasn't more clear. You don't have to store your eggs for incubating this way, but I think it helps to optimize their chances. It helps keep the yolk centered, from settling too much to one side in the shell. The eggs are kept in an egg carton set at a 45 degree angle. You can do this by raising one end up on something like a book. Every 12 hours you alternate which end of the carton is raised. I keep track of which end should be raised when by writing AM & PM on the ends of the carton. I would forget what my code was for X & O.

 

[Chicken0Boy]

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Oh, so I dont rotate the eggs?

I have been flipping the am side and pm. Is that right or do I need to do it to the box instead? Or both?