The most eggs a hen can hatch?

[chickenpiedpiper]

Ok, Dilemma.....

I have a crappy little incubator that barely does the job. I have a lovely big Jersey Giant hen who went broody last week, and an buff orpington starting to. In my excitement at an empty incubator and two broodies, I started buying eggs from all over, really nice eggs! Now I am not so sure about my Orpington, shes not acting so broody!

Best incubator on the planet is a hen, BUT how many can she really sit on?

She is not a Big Jersey, she is no bigger than my other hens. Do you think she could hatch a whole dozen?

Thanks!

 

[Squirtchy2009]

Prehaps not a whole dozen but maybe 8 or 9, my lighty sussex hen is laying on 9 silkie bantam eggs which are quite big , i just had to go around every now and again to make sure she had'nt kcicked any out buts she ushaly quite good

 

[red rosecomb]

hi, I have a broody silkie bantam that went broody last week. She is currently setting on 10 bantam eggs. She is managing, but i dont think more than 9 eggs is smart , i know i took a fools chance

.

good luck with your hatch

 

[chickenpiedpiper]

Thank you

I took the chance early this morning, before I posted this thread, and gave her the dozen, she busily stuffed each one up under her, but if there was a way for a hen to show concern, it was definitly showing as I put the last few in front of her..... with each new egg, she successfully conveyed the expression of someone who had over eaten, but just couldnt resist the last few bites of cake on the plate! But now she is all snuggled down with that happy dazed look of a completely satiated broody.....

Should I take a couple out? She might take me hand off at the elbow if I try? lol

 

[PortageGirl]

If she's covering them, leave em! hehe, she'll be fine.

 

[Marlinchaser]

She can easily cover a dozen.

Are the eggs marked, so you will know which ones to take out, if she isnt seperated from other hens?

She will try to get other eggs under her if given the chance, and your other hens will probably help her. (Tricky things those hens)

 

[Lollipop]

Don`t get greedy. If any are sticking out, only a little, you may not get a good hatch. What happens is, as the hen turns the eggs, many of them will get a turn in the cold air and not just the ones you see. Make sure they are all covered well.......Pop

 

[chickenpiedpiper]

Thanks again! I will watch and see that she can actually cover them all. So far it looks good, but I dont want to peek at her too often.

We built a 'hatching coop' its a 4x4 raised box, similiar to a rabbit hutch, with wire on 3 sides, and a nest box full of hay attached to the back. We moved her in there last night, with her stone eggs, and she settled right down, then this morning I replaced the stone eggs with nice warm Blue Birchen Maran eggs. I have peeked twice, and she has them all well hidden.

It is my hope that she can hatch and raise these in that 'hutch' until they are big enough to join the rest of the group. Normally we raise in a brooder ourselves, but I hate my incubator, and think she would be so much better at it!

If the other hen does go broody, do you think I could swap a few from the first nest to the second? Or would the different body temps of the hens at different stages of broodyness screw up the works?

 

[Marlinchaser]

Yes you can give her some started eggs, hens will sit till something hatches(Secret is they dont know how to count) most of my hens have hatched turkeys/guineas 28 days, and sat till they hatched. So no reason they wouldnt sit for 14 days and assume nothing was wrong.

 

[Lollipop]

You did good placing her by herself. Now she can do her job and not be disturbed. No reason why she can`t raise the chicks in there for a few weeks. I had several 30" X 30" pens for just that purpose and the chicks were usually about 4-6 weeks when I moved them to a larger pen. As long as they aren`t overcrowded, that should work fine. And yess, you can share started eggs with a new broody. Have fun......Pop