Questions regaring gathering eggs and broodys

[Carolyn]

I have some game hens, a Buff orphington and some other hens that are known for broodiness. I would like for someone to set and I have roosters so naturally no one wants to go broody. I have found some hidden nests and am wondering how long should you leave eggs in these nests if no one goes broody. So far I have been picking them up about once a week and none have been bad. Our temps have been from upper 70s to upper 80's. Experienced with chickens but never had a successful broody.

 

[Judy]

A hen may be collecting eggs to set on, then will disappear on them to set and hatch. I don't think I would leave them where they are, unattended, for more than a week or so.

You could try making a broody pen, a small area with nest plus a few sq ft for food, water and exercise, then next time you see one turn broody, set her in there, with or without eggs, to see if she will stay broody when penned. If she settles down, you can choose our own eggs that you wish to hatch, and place them all at once, so that they have their best chance at hatching more or less at the same time.

 

[donrae]

When I want to tempt a hen to go broody, I let a nice size clutch build up in a nest. Either a nest box or a hidden nest will work well. So, say you find a hidden nest with some eggs in it. If I thought it was a potential broody's nest, I'd draw a line around the eggs with a sharpie, marking them as sacrifice eggs so I didn't accidentally collect them for eating. I'd do this until there's say 8 eggs there and then just leave them. I'd collect the unmarked eggs as they're laid. If/when the hen decides to go broody, I leave her alone and watch her. Once she's on the nest for 2 nights in a row, I go out the next night (with gloves cause I'm a wimp about getting pecked

) lift her off the nest and remove the decoy eggs. I put the eggs I want her to hatch under her and tuck her back in.

If she's on a hidden nest, at this point I pretty much just leave her alone and let her do her thing. I don't candle, etc, so that's up to you.

If she's in a coop with other hens, I check under her every other day for bonus eggs another hen may have added, so they don't get started incubating. Guess I forgot to mention I also mark the hatching eggs with a sharpie so I can tell if eggs have been added, as that never works out well

.

 

[Carolyn]

Thanks.