TOO MANY EGGS? Anyone?

[thebritt]

I have a bantam setting on 17(!) eggs (not all hers, but all bantams). It seems like she's not able to keep them all warm, and I don't have enough space to create 2 spots for brooding. Can I introduce another broody hen to the nest to help set and raise the chicks? Can 2 moms set and raise the chicks harmoniously?
Thanks for any input.

 

[pipermark]

Why dont you remove some of the eggs? By the way this wont work if the other hens can still get to the nest. They will lay more eggs whenever the broody gets up to eat or stretch.

 

[thebritt]

Removing some was my first inclination, but I broke one open....hope it WAS a rooster! Mom's now in a "brooding coop" by herself.

 

[tiggers*N*chicks]

We have a bantam that's been sitting on several different varieties of eggs....3 have hatched! One is a little bantam and the other two are a larger breed.

Now there are two hens nesting together on the eggs...(I will get pics and post them tomorrow!) They seem to be getting along just fine with this situation!

The egg collection does seem to grow daily!

I think we went from 8 to 10!) We are going to mark the eggs with a wax pencil to keep track of new and older eggs!

 

[tiggers*N*chicks]

When we went out tonight, there was a black hen in the nesting box with the other two hens....she may have been depositing another egg though! lol

I got a pic, but I seem to have trouble with the 'upload' tool....it completes the progress bar and seems to have finished the upload, but doesn't go any further! It's been 30 minutes already!

 

[thebritt]

Well, I checked on her yesterday evening, and it was obvious she couldn't keep all the eggs warm. So I put a small nest box with clean straw next to the covered nest box with the mommy and 17 eggs...then transplanted some (7) of the eggs to the new box and introduced a broody hen to that nest. First thing the new mommy did was start pulling the eggs under her and settled down to work. I hope the two girls get along once the eggs hatch!
Tiggers*N*chicks - I'm having the same problem with uploads - my daughter tried to explain what I need to do.. Something about <img src=url of image> and a rt click to properties to copy and paste url. I still don't get it!