Taking and Leaving Eggs

tnfarmboy

In the Brooder
Jan 25, 2019
3
24
41
Hi,
I should probably start off by saying we have 10 hens and 1 rooster. They are all Sexlinks right at a year old now. Our hens are laying a lot now with longer days and warmer weather. A couple of them seem broody and it would be cool to have a spring chick or even a few. The picture is, I think, 3 days worth of eggs. I know for sure that I have to start gathering eggs daily now. I need some advice on how I should gather eggs and leave eggs. There has to be some kind of strategy, right? I saw one post that suggested marking eggs to leave. That makes sense to me, please expand. Please share your wisdom with me.

Thanks!!
IMG_1294.jpg
DD
 
A lot of people recommend that when you are SURE you have a broody you should move her to a separate enclosure with a nest and fake eggs, make sure that she's still sitting tight on the nest, and then give her the eggs you want to have hatch -- selecting only the very best eggs.

You'll find a lot of information in the Incubation and Hatching section of the forums. :)
 
Do you have a hen that is broody? You can't make a hen sit by leaving eggs.
If you have a broody who is already sitting, you'll need to:
1. Decide how many eggs you want her to sit on.
2. Mark (a full circle is best) and date them with a pencil.
3. I take a picture of the eggs( but if you have just one breed it isn't beneficial)
4. It is best to keep her where the flock can see her but can't disturb her eggs. She'll need out to drink, eat, & dust bathe 2x a day
5. Wait for the
 
She'll need out to drink, eat, & dust bathe 2x a day
5. Wait for the
Wait for the... WHAT, WHAT??!! The suspense is killing me!

I personally don't isolate my broodies from the flock. They have their own ground nest in a private area but the others can visit her while she is setting. The rooster in particular likes to visit his broody hens just before hatching and very shortly after.

I also manage her morning breaks so that I know she is getting off the nest and I can examine it while she is gone and remove errant eggs. This is why it is important to mark the eggs.

I'm not sure how frequently sex-links go broody. You'll have to wait and see if you get one.

In the meantime, collect all those eggs so they don't go to waste! Collect them daily. Leaving eggs in the nest does not promote broodiness.
 
Wait for the... WHAT, WHAT??!! The suspense is killing me!

I personally don't isolate my broodies from the flock. They have their own ground nest in a private area but the others can visit her while she is setting. The rooster in particular likes to visit his broody hens just before hatching and very shortly after.

I also manage her morning breaks so that I know she is getting off the nest and I can examine it while she is gone and remove errant eggs. This is why it is important to mark the eggs.

I'm not sure how frequently sex-links go broody. You'll have to wait and see if you get one.

In the meantime, collect all those eggs so they don't go to waste! Collect them daily. Leaving eggs in the nest does not promote broodiness.
🤣Wait for the...🦕dinosaurs to hatch. 🦕Lol.
I used to not isolate mine but now I use the "look but don't touch method"due to eggs being pushed out of the box and getting cold.
@tnfarmboy
I love my broodies but they go broody when they want to go broody. If you want hens that raise chicks you may need to get a few hens that are known for broodies like old english bantams, orpingtons, naked neck, langshan, or cuckoo marans. Cochin bantams are known for broodies too. Silkies are supposed to be the most broody breed but they are usually sold straight run and require special care.
 
Is she on nest most the day and all night?
When you pull her out of nest and put her on the ground, does she flatten right back out into a fluffy screeching pancake?
Does she walk around making a low cluckcluckcluckcluckcluck(ticking bomb) sound on her way back to the nest?

If so, then she is probably broody and you'll have to decide how to manage it.


When I have a broody and want her to hatch I wait until she's been in the nest most the day and all night for 2-3 days...along with those other signs I posted.

Then I put her in the broody enclosure with fake eggs in the floor nest, she won't like being moved, but if she is truly good and broody she will settle onto the new nest within a half a day.
Then I give her fresh fertile eggs and mark the calendar.

I like them separated by wire from the flock, it's just easier all around.
No having to mark eggs and remove any additions daily, no taking up a laying nest, no going back to the wrong nest after the daily constitutional.

I remove barrier about one week after hatch. The chicks are usually safe it's the broody who has to 'fight' her way back into the pecking order...which can be quick or take a few days.

Lots of space helps for re-integration.
 

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