Removing infertile eggs from a broody nest

[Johnchickens2]

Hi
My broody hen has about 8 eggs. Today (day 6 of incubation), when she took her daily break, I took her eggs home to candle them. I noticed that only 4/8 eggs had developed veins, which means that 4 eggs arent fertile...
Now, I want to remove these eggs, but wondering whether the hen would notice her nest got smaller and has fewer eggs. When I take this four eggs out it's really noticeable in the nest. I don't know what her reaction can be if she see many eggs have disappeared...
What should I do?

 

[nuthatched]

Take them out, she likely won't care.

 

[Sussex19]

Mine have never appeared to notice, or care. As long as there is one or two left, they seem happy; but if you have any concerns about how your hen will do, (and all hens are different) you could replace them with fake eggs, or even golf balls.

 

[Johnchickens2]

Mine have never appeared to notice, or care. As long as there is one or two left, they seem happy; but if you have any concerns about how your hen will do, (and all hens are different) you could replace them with fake eggs, or even golf balls.

Take them out, she likely won't care.

Thank you! If the infertile eggs are left in the nest, will them cause any harm?

 

[Sussex19]

Thank you! If the infertile eggs are left in the nest, will them cause any harm?

They may, if they become rotten.
Being infertile doesn't mean they will become rotten, but they may have started to develop and then got bacteria which killed the embryo, which is why they are not developing.
So as they have a high risk of going nasty, (they can explode, killing other developing eggs) I would take them out.

 

[nuthatched]

Thank you! If the infertile eggs are left in the nest, will them cause any harm?

They're likely to go rotten and pop.