Setting

[confederatemule]

I hope this is in the correct folder.
Here I go revealing my lack of intelligence.

We have 3 old hens. 1 Australorp and 2 Golden Comets.Two of them layed their last egg last year. One Golden Comet is still laying an egg every other day. They live in separate rabbit type cages. They are released every evening. They go back to their own cage at dark.
We also have an old rooster that they are exposed to regularly. We have no idea what the rooster is. Although he is big. He is colored like a Bramah only he has no feathers on his legs.

The other day the two that don't lay went in a little early and we forgot to go back out after dark to close the door on the one that got home late.

The next morning she was out and about early. I had seen her at a certain area that was grown up in weeds that the donkey nor goats will eat. She had sort of made her a nest there. Well, this morning she laid an egg there fairly early. That night she went into her cage and for safety, we closed her in. We did not move the egg and waited to see if she would lay there again. We opened her door early the next morning and she casually came out but did not lay an egg. So we went through the same night and morning routine. Sure enough the next day (today) she layed an egg around 10 am in the same location.

We would like for her to set on and hatch the eggs.

Now to my questions. How many eggs do hens lay before they start to set. Should we not lock her in at night so she can start setting on the eggs when she is ready? How long should we give her to start setting. Is she too old to set on eggs? Once she starts setting I plan to put a bottomless cage over her to keep her safe. I'll also provide water and feed in the cage.

I hope Y'all got the drift of what I am trying to do and figure out.

Thanks, fer any help.

Mule

 

[rIrs roost]

I would leave he eggs there until there's 3 or so. All hens won't sit though. Maybe even make her a nesting box for her that's kinda dark. Put it in her coop along with the eggs. She needs to feel safe. Put some bedding in the box. Hopefully while she's in there she'll start to sit if she see's the eggs and feels safe. Good luck. Maybe someone else will have suggestions.

 

[bobbi-j]

How old is this hen? Has she gone broody before? Just laying an egg in the same place doesn't necessarily mean she's going to set on them. Chickens are creatures of habit. If she finds a place she likes to lay her egg, she'll continue doing it. As far as how many they lay before they set if they're going to, sometimes a dozen or more. Again - they lay in a place they feel comfortable doing so. If she's going to go broody, she'll stop laying before setting on the clutch she's gathered.

 

[confederatemule]

She may be 6 years old. All three, that I have, are the same age. I got them from a feller when they were at least 3 years old. I've had them at least 3 years. As far as I know she has never been broody.

 

[bobbi-j]

She may be 6 years old. All three, that I have, are the same age. I got them from a feller when they were at least 3 years old. I've had them at least 3 years. As far as I know she has never been broody.

I'm guessing that's not going to happen, then.

 

[rIrs roost]

You could always incubate some eggs? If she's never been broody in 6 years, chances are she never will be

 

[confederatemule]

If I had an incubator.

 

[rIrs roost]

If I had an incubator.

There's ways n here that yu can make a homemade incubator.

 

[ronott1]

If I had an incubator.

Check with your local 4-H. They will often let you borrow an incubator

 

[confederatemule]

Well, it is all over but the cryin.
The only thing left this mornin was 3 or 4 pieces of shell.
I built her a bucket nest in her coop. Maybe she will lay in it.

Mule