[Asaunders]

I have a usually very reliable broody hen which has been sittin on some fertile eggs but the last 2 dozen of eggs she has sat on she keeps moving the eggs and only is sittin on maybe half the eggs in the end. i put her in a seperate shed so she is on her own and ive alays put straw in the box she sits in and was always told put some grass cutting under the straw and eggs and this has always worked but know she will not sit on all the eggs and moves them around and losing some of the eggs in the straw

Any help very grateful

[Foxy]

sounds like the eggs are either infertile or she is restless for some other reason, maybe lice or mites??

[Asaunders]

maybe more the eggs are infertile than mites or lice as the pen isnew and very clean and i havent seen anythink unusual.

[Foxy]

Have you tried candling? a small strong torch with an empty toilet roll on one end, in a dim room you should see something

[kitkat]

Is she meant to be sitting on 2 dozen eggs now at the same time? Perhaps i've read it wrong

[Foxy]

Is she meant to be sitting on 2 dozen eggs now at the same time? Perhaps i've read it wrong

hmmm 2 dozen would be rather a lot even for a big hen

[snowflake]

24 eggs thats a lot of eggs to sit on  .
What breed of hen is she ?

[kitkat]

Ostrich, i think

[snowflake]

is she on quail eggs?

[Asaunders]

shes only sitting on 12 eggs at a time but the last 2 times she has just been moving around and losing some of the eggs.

[joyfull]

I found that even a dozen eggs was too many for my broody.

[Foxy]

might be a good idea to try candling, then you can take out the infertile (clear) ones, it will make it easier for her to manage her nest.

here is a bit of info on candling

http://lancaster.unl.edu/4h/Embryology/candling.shtml

[kitkat]

7 eggs were too much for my Brahma hen

[Asaunders]

ok thanks, i will try 7 eggs for my hen, she usually hatches them out so couldnt understand why she wasnt this time.

[snowflake]

I watched one of my broodys move the eggs from the outside edge to the centre I was amased she was so busy. But mine were on woodshavings small sort.
Is you straw long strands ?
If you have a incubator you could put some in and leave her with some, then candle in a week , and put the growing ones in incubator back under her? I love my candler best thing I ever bought you can see whats going on inside the eggs and avoid the clear infertile ones. good luck