Hello all,
I've had three pet hens of various breeds, all adopted from an animal shelter over three years ago.
One ("Silkie") died a year later, a second ("Legs") died last Fall from a predator attack, and the only one I have left is "Millie".
Off and on the past three years, Millie has given us an egg a day. She had stopped laying after Legs died, but early in December she began to lay again.
Because I wanted more chickens, a friend suggested having Millie hatch some fertile eggs. I have been told that introducing new chickens to my coop would kill either my chicken or the new ones, and that this would be the only way to bring Millie company and me more future egg layers.
I was given three eggs by a friend of a friend who has a farm on December 14th. Millie didn't sit on them regularly at first, only at night time. I didn't know anything about 'brooding' at the time, and still don't know much, but from about a week or so later, Millie has not left the nest other than to attend to her business.
If I've done the math right, the eggs, if they were going to hatch, should have hatched by this past weekend.
What should I do? Can a hen 'brood' too long and could this cause her problems? She seems alert and healthy, lets me pet her and lets me check the eggs. But I'm worried for her.
Should I remove the eggs? Would it be OK to get some more and 'replace' them?
Thanking you in advance for any advice you can give me...
Denise
I've had three pet hens of various breeds, all adopted from an animal shelter over three years ago.
One ("Silkie") died a year later, a second ("Legs") died last Fall from a predator attack, and the only one I have left is "Millie".
Off and on the past three years, Millie has given us an egg a day. She had stopped laying after Legs died, but early in December she began to lay again.
Because I wanted more chickens, a friend suggested having Millie hatch some fertile eggs. I have been told that introducing new chickens to my coop would kill either my chicken or the new ones, and that this would be the only way to bring Millie company and me more future egg layers.
I was given three eggs by a friend of a friend who has a farm on December 14th. Millie didn't sit on them regularly at first, only at night time. I didn't know anything about 'brooding' at the time, and still don't know much, but from about a week or so later, Millie has not left the nest other than to attend to her business.
If I've done the math right, the eggs, if they were going to hatch, should have hatched by this past weekend.
What should I do? Can a hen 'brood' too long and could this cause her problems? She seems alert and healthy, lets me pet her and lets me check the eggs. But I'm worried for her.
Should I remove the eggs? Would it be OK to get some more and 'replace' them?
Thanking you in advance for any advice you can give me...
Denise