Removing eggs from the nest.

[JamesK 2]

Will my hens lay more if i remove the eggs from their nest as soon as they are laid? What do you guys do.

[Plank 8]

Will my hens lay more if i remove the eggs from their nest as soon as they are laid? What do you guys do.

 

They may lay a couple more if you remove the eggs as they may be slightly slower to become broody, but the real advantage is in quality.

 

Removing them regularly will enable you to keep track of how old they are, you can pencil the date on. It will keep them fresher as they won't warm and cool, eggs stay fresh at a constant temp that is why eating eggs are on a supermarket shelf (room temp air-con) but the packet says to keep in the fridge (cooler but still constant). It will also stop the chickens from getting into the habit of eating them.

 

If you are hoping that the chicken will become broody then still remove the eggs but replace them with fake ceramic ones, up to a sensible total (these can be surprising expensive but you can 'blow' eggs then inject with a suitable filler like plaster of Paris). Keep the removed ones out of sunlight in a cool place with a constant temperature. If you want to hatch them out keep back the regularly shaped, blemish free and basically clean eggs (If the majority of your eggs aren't basically clean either your chickens are ill or you need to add clean nesting material). Mark the top of your saved eggs with an 'X' on the bottom and with a 'O' and lay them on their sides turning morning and night in opposite directions, eating them when they get older than ten days (cue argument over exact time). When the hen becomes broody make her a nest in a nest box in a quiet place away from the other chickens, with a square of wet turf at the very bottom (for humidity). Quietly remove hen from nestbox in the late evening for water and wheat (not pellets), return her after she has defecated or a quarter of an hour (Cue argument no.2). If she's still sitting 'tight' after a couple of days swap the fake eggs for as many of the youngest real ones* as she can easily keep warm and mark the date on the calendar. Some people swear by gently wiping eggs with dilute egg disinfectant before incubation. This can be very expensive and while it can marginally increase the number of chicks it probably isn't worth it for low value stuff. Don't wash hatching eggs or buy washed hatching eggs as washing can damage the egg's natural anti-bacterial layer.

 

If you want to regularly hatch out lots of eggs you might do better with an electric incubator, similar procedure just check it's holding temp before putting your eggs in. With ether you should handle eggs gently and can 'candle' the eggs after eight days of incubation (argument no.3) to see if they are developing.

 

*A broody chicken won't be laying but will still sit on other chicken's eggs, but don't put under any laid the same day. (no. 4)

[JamesK 2]

Will my hens lay more if i remove the eggs from their nest as soon as they are laid? What do you guys do.

 

They may lay a couple more if you remove the eggs as they may be slightly slower to become broody, but the real advantage is in quality.

 

Removing them regularly will enable you to keep track of how old they are, you can pencil the date on. It will keep them fresher as they won't warm and cool, eggs stay fresh at a constant temp that is why eating eggs are on a supermarket shelf (room temp air-con) but the packet says to keep in the fridge (cooler but still constant). It will also stop the chickens from getting into the habit of eating them.

 

If you are hoping that the chicken will become broody then still remove the eggs but replace them with fake ceramic ones, up to a sensible total (these can be surprising expensive but you can 'blow' eggs then inject with a suitable filler like plaster of Paris). Keep the removed ones out of sunlight in a cool place with a constant temperature. If you want to hatch them out keep back the regularly shaped, blemish free and basically clean eggs (If the majority of your eggs aren't basically clean either your chickens are ill or you need to add clean nesting material). Mark the top of your saved eggs with an 'X' on the bottom and with a 'O' and lay them on their sides turning morning and night in opposite directions, eating them when they get older than ten days (cue argument over exact time). When the hen becomes broody make her a nest in a nest box in a quiet place away from the other chickens, with a square of wet turf at the very bottom (for humidity). Quietly remove hen from nestbox in the late evening for water and wheat (not pellets), return her after she has defecated or a quarter of an hour (Cue argument no.2). If she's still sitting 'tight' after a couple of days swap the fake eggs for as many of the youngest real ones* as she can easily keep warm and mark the date on the calendar. Some people swear by gently wiping eggs with dilute egg disinfectant before incubation. This can be very expensive and while it can marginally increase the number of chicks it probably isn't worth it for low value stuff. Don't wash hatching eggs or buy washed hatching eggs as washing can damage the egg's natural anti-bacterial layer.

 

If you want to regularly hatch out lots of eggs you might do better with an electric incubator, similar procedure just check it's holding temp before putting your eggs in. With ether you should handle eggs gently and can 'candle' the eggs after eight days of incubation (argument no.3) to see if they are developing.

 

*A broody chicken won't be laying but will still sit on other chicken's eggs, but don't put under any laid the same day. (no. 4)

 

The eggs are unfertilized and i don't plan on getting any fertilized ones, i only keep two hens in my back garden for eggs.

[Plank 8]

 

The eggs are unfertilized and i don't plan on getting any fertilized ones, i only keep two hens in my back garden for eggs.

 

Then I'd collect them once or twice daily, write the date on and keep them in the fridge. Not to get extra eggs but to keep them fresher and discourage the hens from eating them, a habit they can develop when board.