Will I have baby chicks?

[Jessica Billenstein]

Ok first time poster here. I have 14 chickens 2 roos 1 slikie, 3 Rhode island reds and some pullets...now my two roos are mating with anything that walks it seems like, and my girls are .or free range....I have Started finding eggs laying in different places. Under some brush in barn floor.. now my question is..if I leave eggs alone will the hatch? Or since not in a "nest" will they not develop..I got most of my birds April 1st.

 

[SueT]

Welcome to BYC.....for eggs to hatch, a hen must sit on them for 3 weeks. They go 'broody' it's a natural process. Rhode island reds probably will. However, they need a safe place to do this where predators can't get them. Do you have a coop with nest boxes? Do they get locked in at night? Making sure they are safe is the most important consideration before trying to hatch chicks...
Good luck!

 

[MilesFluffybutt]

Do you want chicks?

 

[PD-Riverman]

Ok first time poster here. I have 14 chickens 2 roos 1 slikie, 3 Rhode island reds and some pullets...now my two roos are mating with anything that walks it seems like, and my girls are .or free range....I have Started finding eggs laying in different places. Under some brush in barn floor.. now my question is..if I leave eggs alone will the hatch? Or since not in a "nest" will they not develop..I got most of my birds April 1st.

Just because you have roosters does not mean your eggs will hatch----as said the hen has to go Broody and sit on the eggs steady---24/7 for 3 weeks(except for a quick poop and grab a little feed).
Keep in mind you Do Not Have to have roosters if you do not want them. The hens will lay fine without a rooster around. The Roosters do watch over the hens and most roosters will protect them with their life.

If your hens are scattering the eggs---I would close them in their run(you do have a coop and fenced in run?) with nesting boxes so they get use to laying in the nest-----might need to do that for a couple weeks steady then turn them out mid afternoon to start----most have layed by then----then in another week or two turn them out a little earlier----after they are trained---like mine----they are turned out early 7 am some days----and they all come back to the nest to lay their eggs. Good Luck

 

[Jessica Billenstein]

Yes they do get put in the coop at night it has a nesting area in it.. I would love to have baby chicks..should I keep her put up in the coop all day or should I just let nature go nad when she is ready to sit she will?..... Side question.. will she continue to lay while she is brooding?

 

[chickens really]

Your Pullets are too young to go Broody...I would lock all your Birds up for a few days till your Hens are trained to use the nest boxes...
Collect your eggs daily...A Hen that is Broody does not need eggs to become Broody..Its hormones..Once your certain you have a Broody Hen, collect enough eggs for her to set and put her in a Broody pen to set and hatch the Chicks...Food and water provided....Make sure eggs are only collected and put under her on the same day or the later ones wont hatch because Momma will leave the nest to feed the first chicks to hatch after about 24 hours...

 

[SueT]

[QUOTE="Jessica Billenstein, post: 18815985, member: 4885 Side question.. will she continue to lay while she is brooding?[/QUOTE]
No, broody hens stop laying.
There are many many articles and threads on broodiness you might want to study. Here's one:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/guide-to-letting-broody-hens-hatch-and-raise-chicks.65989/