Should I incubate

[kathycal]

Hey Y'all! I am new here and really looking forward to sharing with everyone and getting advice. For now I have a question about whether to incubate some eggs. There are 12 as of today, the first was laid on 4/16. There are 4 hens in this pen but so far no one is sitting on the eggs. Should I go ahead and consider putting them in an incubator or should I hold off a bit longer. I kinda thought with there being 12 now someone might go and start sitting.

 

[Toast n Jelly]

They won't incubate even if you leave them in the nest. It will depend on what kind of hens that you have and if their nature tells them to sit on the eggs, if not you may as well incubate them yourself.

 

[kathycal]

The hens are Rhode Island Reds and Dominiques. From what I have read both of these breeds can be iffy.

 

[loveourbirds]

broodiness has been bred out of most strains of both of these breeds. you will be by far better off to get an incubator if you want more chickens.

best of luck,
brian

 

[kathycal]

Thanks! I set the incubator up last night and got it stabile. I am going to put the eggs in today. I will be glad when my bantams and silkies get bigger. Hoping they will sit for me.

 

[kathycal]

I just went to collect the eggs from the nesting box to put them in the incubator and I found something strange on the floor of the coop. I am assuming its an egg but instead of having a nice hard shell this one has a soft squishy membrane type outer shell. Any ideas what could cause this? Could it be a young hens first egg? All the other eggs are perfectly normal.

 

[loveourbirds]

I just went to collect the eggs from the nesting box to put them in the incubator and I found something strange on the floor of the coop. I am assuming its an egg but instead of having a nice hard shell this one has a soft squishy membrane type outer shell. Any ideas what could cause this? Could it be a young hens first egg? All the other eggs are perfectly normal.

there are several things that cause this, lack of calcium, 2 eggs in a day, and absorbtion problems.

if this keeps happening, take some pics and let me know. (email if you have to)

if this is the first instance im going to guess your hen layed 2 eggs in one day. sometimes the second egg doesn't get enough calcium for a shell. this is somewhat common in rhode island reds.

 

[kathycal]

Thank you for the help. This is the first time I have seen this. It was also strange because it was on the floor under the roosting pole. It happened something between late yesterday evening and around 7 this morning. Almost like she did it while roosting?? The RIRs are young so I thought maybe it was someone first egg?

 

[loveourbirds]

ive never noticed that as a first egg, but im not an expert. usually first eggs are very small compared to "experienced" layers