PLEASE HELP MY ME WITH MY BROODY

[CRH]

Hi guys,

I believe my hen is broody. I’m not sure how many eggs she has under her. I’m very scared to candle them because the last time one of my hens went broody she stopped laying on the eggs. This is a different hen though. I want to know if she’s sitting in something or nothing. How can I check without her leaving her eggs behind?
When you candle them do they lose a scent of something? Also, how do I get close enough without scaring her to grab the eggs to candle? She’s territorial.

I've previously had duck eggs and candled them. They were all fertilized. As soon as we candled she completely abandoned the eggs and we lost all of them. Do I need to move them in a different area?

Please help!! I’ve have hens/roosters for for over 15 years and I’ve never had chicks. What am I doing wrong??

 

[Tonyroo]

You have to monitor the hen, she will leave the nest to eat, drink, and poop. That's your window to check the nestbox and candle eggs if there are any.

Hens can't detect human scent but you should wash your hands or wear latex gloves while handling the eggs to prevent bacteria exposure from your hands.