Young broody...sitting for over a month and a half, kicking out eggs

[kellieg1]

Penny, my RIR has been sitting on eggs since July the 6th. She had 15 eggs under her at/about the 20th of that month. Since, then she has been kicking some of them out.The ones that she did kick out, I just threw away.

I marked the ones that were under her on or about the 6th of Aug. She had 12 at that time. At that time nothing happened. She was setting on them.



Tonight I collected eggs, 3 of the ones I marked were on the ground in front of her. I candled them and the have some really dark masses in them? So, I was thinking of putting them in my incubator. Just to see if I could hatch them, or I'm I giving myself a let down by doing this. I feel so sorry for her cuz I believe every time she leaves the nest someone comes and lays eggs.



I tried to lift her up and what I could see she has about 15 or more under her now.

Poor hen,

She is just the sweetest thing now, She's been sitting for so long and the older hens, she won't tell to get out of her spot. I'm just lost of what to do with the eggs that I just collected, and of course her.

 

[cochins1088]

If you want her to be able to hatch chicks, I recommend separating her from the other hens. I was never able to sucessfully hatch chicks with a broody until I separated her for some of the same problems. The one I have now is simply in a large dog crate with food and water and room to stretch. This way they don't quit on their eggs and other hens can't add eggs, and I haven't had any eggs get "kicked out" since I started separating them. The eggs you found, you can try incubating them, it hopefully won't be a let down. A hen almost always accepts day old chicks as her own if it's done at night and they were previous broody, so if you incubate them and give them to her when they hatch, she could raise them, just another idea.

 

[kellieg1]

Thank you, cochins1088 for the information. I do have a dog cage that I could set inside the coop to put her in. I have read though that they don't like to be moved.

Guess, I can give a try and see huh! And if she doesn't like it, I could take those eggs!

 

[cochins1088]

They don't "Like" being moved, but they settle in fairly quickly. I make a nice nest in the back and then add her eggs. She'll run right it and get comfortable on the eggs, kicking around hay and making the nest nest "hers"

 

[kellieg1]

She would be in the same coop as the others, but in dog cage. Set up the incubator tonight, wanting for the temp. to come up. The humidity is high, (down in the basement). wondering if I should bring it up stairs? Don't know?

 

[cochins1088]

Humidity should be around 40 - 45%, what is it now?

 

[kellieg1]

The temp. in the bator is 99. 5, humidity is between 25 to 26% The outside temp is almost 78 to 60% humidity. I can't believe my basement is that hot?!

I'm thinking about putting those eggs in there. Ok, gonna put them in there, maybe add a little water to bump the humidity up. Wish me luck! :0