egg sand feathers
New Member

Thanks very much for this info. Just what I was hoping to hear!!!

Leland

You can start collecting now Fertilization is almost immediate.

Oh Goodness! Sorry for the delay, but haven't had time to be on the board in a couple of weeks. This is a very difficult question, so I'll try to break it down for you.
Usually, one a hen is bred, she will stay fertile for a couple of weeks. Her egg laying schedule will not change, they'll just be fertile. Now, the big question....will she go broody? Hard to say. It really depends on the bird. Since the progression in technology, we've managed to breed the natural instincts out of a lot of breeds. Ex: without artificial incubation, leghorns would most likely die out. They no longer go broody on their own, so eggs must be incubated. This is the case with quite a few breeds now. You hen may never go broody.
I suggest that you either get yourself a small tabletop incubator, or get a hen that will go broody. Silkies and OEG are good for going broodie. Any broodie hen will sit on any egg that you give to her. They are not particular.
Hope this helps.
Angela