# Stupid chicken questions



## Tanya (Mar 31, 2020)

Right. I know how to make chickens better but have never bred them. I have 1 seabrite rooster with 2 hens. 1 white layer. 2 African chickens. And 1 cloek cloek. They have ALL blessed me with eggs. None of them are fertile as no life at candling.
My question. 
I know hens get broody, but how will I know to leave eggs in the nest if none of my hens are sitting on the eggs?


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## Kass (Apr 26, 2020)

A broody hen will sit on her eggs almost 24/7 and will probably fluff up and peck you if you try to touch her. Some hens go broody often and some never do. It depends on the hen. Some breeds are more prone to it. 

When did you candle the eggs? You usually can't see anything until 10 days in the incubator I think. 

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## Mike at Capra Vista (Nov 30, 2017)

I mostly have Dorking hens and they go broody often. I picked them for that reason. But it can be annoying. As Kass indicated broodiness really depends on the breed. Chickens have been bred for so long not to go broody since a broody hen stops laying eggs for quite a while. You can probably google your breeds and find out how broody they tend to be.

I have, in the past, left a few eggs in a nest box to encourage broodiness. It has taken up to a week to get a hen broody and sitting on the eggs. After a couple of days, when I'm sure she is broody, I take out the decoy eggs and replace them with the eggs I want hatched - which I have been saving up. That said, I find hens do not get broody on my schedule.

And yes, you cannot tell if an egg is fertile until it has been incubating/developing for a while. Unless your rooster is broken and not doing his job, most of your eggs are likely fertilized.


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## Tanya (Mar 31, 2020)

Ok. So can I leave eggs for a few days to see if one of my hens sit?


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## AndersonRanch (Oct 18, 2020)

Crack one of the eggs open and see if the little white dot has a bullseye or it is just a solid dot. Solid dot not fertile, bullseye your good to go.
Most hens usually won’t go broody until they have been laying for a bit and have a good amount of eggs in the nest. If you don’t want to keep the eggs in the nest you can also trick the hens. You can put golf balls, ceramic eggs or I used the kids plastic Easter eggs with small rocks in them to trick them. That way you can store the eggs in the house and replace when they go broody. 
Also some hen breeds are more broody then others. Some breeds will constantly try hatching everything and some will never even try. But give your hens a chance to see what they do


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## MadHouse (Oct 3, 2019)

The eggs you are saving will have to be turned every day I believe. We didn’t do that and only one chick out of 5 eggs hatched. Keep them at room temperature and not in the fridge.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

No, just store them small point down in a carton on your counter. Don't turn them or disturb them. When you switch them into the nest put them carefully point side down and over on the side. Don't turn them big end down or let them get shaken. Both of these can disturb the the air bubble that the chick depends on later for hatching.


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## Mike at Capra Vista (Nov 30, 2017)

And don't be afraid to write any information you want an the egg. I put date laid on the egg and the hen if I know. Keeping the eggs on the counter for a week or even 10 days is fine.

I had not heard about keeping them point down, but I have read to disturb the eggs as little as possible.

It is also best to have a separate place for your hen once she is broody so the other hens do not bother her. It is best to move your broody at night, which is also a good time to give her the eggs you want hatched.

This whole hen hatching can be a pain, but it is wonderful to watch the hen raise the chicks.


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## Mike at Capra Vista (Nov 30, 2017)

Mike at Capra Vista said:


> I have read to disturb the eggs as little as possible.


Keep this in mind as you move new eggs from the coop to the kitchen!!!


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## Tanya (Mar 31, 2020)

Aaahhh. Thank you guys. So starting today I am going to keep them outside the fridge and check hens for brood. Ok. Its weird. I can fix broken legs and wings and sour crop and stuff but never wanted to hatch babues... lol


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