Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
ALMOST BEEKEEPING - RELATED TOPICS => FARMING & COUNTRY LIFE => Topic started by: Jerrymac on March 27, 2009, 07:04:15 pm
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I have a hen sitting on an egg. I left the egg for her because she had been in the box a couple of days thinking that would get her over it. But that was February 17th when I left the egg. That was 38 days ago. I don't think the egg is going to hatch :shock: When will she give it up. :idunno:
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You are right, that egg won't hatch, its been too long. Its usually 21 days and they can go a little longer but not that much longer.
You will have to kick her off the nest most likely, but its hard to break them of it if they have baby fever.
If she is determined to hatch eggs then that is what she will want to do for however long it takes usually.
Can you take those eggs away from her and put some fertilized eggs under her?
If you don't have any fertilized eggs onhand maybe you can buy some locally.
Its always good to have a broody on hand when you need to add to your flock.
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My chickens are always mating but I don't know how to tell if the egg is fertile.
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Jerry, elaborate.....how many chickens, how many roosters. That would be a key to knowing if the eggs are fertilized or not. I bet my bottom dollar that most of the eggs would be fertilized (my memory serves me that you may have about 20 chickens? Right? Wrong?, that just seem to kind of ring a bell).
Do you want to increase your stock? This is what I would do if I had a broody hen. Give that bird some new eggs, say about 10, take away the old eggs first. If you don't want to increase your stock, I would still give the bird a couple of eggs to let her take care of the call of nature that she wants to complete -- and that job is being a mother. Some chickens LOVE to raise babies. I have one like that. She is Micky. If you gave your bird say four eggs, perhaps one or two of those would hatch and then she would be complete. She would have her little babies, you would not have an enormous increase in your flock, smiling. Let that bird let nature complete its course. Beautiful day in this great life we all love to live and share, health. Cindi
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With my luck I will stuff some more eggs under her and in a few days she'll decide she's had enough and get up.
I will try it and see what happens.
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Jerry, I recall a picture seeing a young child at your place, that was your son, I think, right? Please elaborate. Do you have any other young children? Please elaborate, you know I love to know. I ask this for a reason, you will see....
If you let that chicken set on some more eggs, I can bet my bottom dollar that she will stick out til the task is done. When your child(ren) see those little peeping machines, they gonna love to watch, hold them, pick them up. Do it for him(them).
We have a bird craze going on here, and I mean craze. The City of Vancouver (and we are a pretty large city, the hub of the Asian Pacific Corridor, the melting pot) has allowed city residents that have enough land (no clue how much they need) can have chickens to raise for food/eggs/whatever. It is going to start a rampage with people wanting to have chickens. No sure if this is going to be a good thing, or last too long. I think there may be a bunch of abused chickens out there with people not taking proper care of them and putting them in tiny pens, it saddens me. No clue why I said this --- I was just compelled, and you know I love to ramble.....smiling that big smile.
Anyways, enjoy those babies, they will hatch. I had a turkey that sit for close to two brood sessions (a brood session is 28 days for turkeys, 21 days for chickens, 35 days (imagine that!!!!!!) for Muscovy ducks). Her first set of eggs went bad because she got scared off her nest a couple of times and the eggs chilled. I took the eggs away and she went right over and kicked the other turkey off her eggs and carried on setting hers, what a brat!!! Beautiful day in this great and most fabulous life we all live, love and are sharin', health. Cindi
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The picture you are talking about, that is my grandson. He does have an older brother who is afraid of the roosters. Haven't figured out what to call someone that is a chicken around chickens :idunno:
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She will eventually give up, but it will take quite a while. A couple of months probably. If you actually didn't (or don't) want her to set, dunk her in cold water and take all the eggs every day. She'll give up shortly.
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after about 24 days you should break her up so she will start laying again sooner, be careful with those eggs, they can blow up on you and you will not like it :-X , take them away from the house and through away, oh make sure house isn't down wind ;)
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Yeah. I took it about a hundred yards away and tossed it out the pickup window......
It hit the ground and rolled.
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Oh my gosh jerry!! I read the last two messages quickly and I thought you through the hen out of the car and it hit the ground and rolled.
I was horrified and thinking wow did he misinterpet the last message. :-D
I am glad that I reread it.
So did you give the little lady some more eggs to sit on? You said you needed some more egg layers anyway to keep up with demand, they won't lay until the fall but you will still have them and increased our flock for free.
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After today she will have 10 eggs to sit on. Already left her 6 yesterday and will leave 4 more today. We'll see what happens.
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Remember the incubation period of 21 days doesn't start until the hen has layed her clutch and that is one egg a day. I nature this keeps the chicks from having big age differences. I know this doesn't apply here but something to remember for the future
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after about 24 days you should break her up so she will start laying again sooner, be careful with those eggs, they can blow up on you and you will not like it :-X , take them away from the house and through away, oh make sure house isn't down wind ;)
Save em for Halloween :evil:
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you need to candle those eggs on day 5-6. that will tell you if they are fertile and not waste her time. get a box cut a hole, put egg in hole, put flashlight behind egg, get in the dark, turn on flashlight. there you go. search online for chick embryology for pics of what a fertile egg looks like. don't waste her time or yours.