Female laying too many eggs

[shaun4rmsa]

hi all, i haven't posted in some time, partly because of a move of house and partly because i havent had any new questions or real problems. now i think i might have a real problem on hand, as some may remember my hand reared then 9 year old female bred last year for the first time, this year (now 10 years old) i put the nest box up in august, normal ritual started(the pair stay together all year round)
she started plundering the nest and all and mid september started laying eggs and by month end there was 5, just in the last week now she lay 4 more by last night. Now my question? can she die, might the first 5 eggs be infertile as i saw them mating still last night? i dont want to remove any eggs as im afraid she'll lay more but i dont want her to get egg bound? will she be able to raise say 5 chicks if they should hatch or would i have to take some out?

Please help, dont want my pet to die

[shaun4rmsa]

please i see a few people have read this! Johan what are you're thoughts? should i be concerned

[Fourie]

I had a hen that once covered 6 eggs and she was successful with 4 but 9 eggs, impossable to cover. I would remove the first 4 and place them in a brooder or under another hen. I dont think she will lay more eggs.

Regards

[SCB 22]

Hi there - i sent you a pm!

[shaun4rmsa]

Thanks guys, Fourie, I know its too much, but I have just one breeding pair and no brooder,I will follow SCB's advice and candle the eggs, see what isn't right and remove that

[SCB 22]

Shaun just remember the new eggs may not show as fertile yet, you need to wait the minimum of ten days before the latest would even show signs of being fertile, before you go ahead and dispose of them!

[Johan S]

Shaun, you will need to remove some eggs. I'd recommend that you candle the first batch. They should start showing signs of life. Am I correct in assuming that the hen has been incubating them? If yes, they should show some veins by now. Then keep the and remove the second batch. If no, the embryos are probably dead already. I haven't had success with eggs where incubation only started after 10 days. If the first batch seems infertile, remove them and hold thumbs for the second batch. If I had to venture a guest, you'll find the first batch infertile as the hen probably instinctively new this.

You aren't in very well charted waters, so your mileage may vary. Please give us some feedback on your findings.

[SCB 22]

Would love an update as to whats happening with the eggs!

[shaun4rmsa]

hi guys definitely nothing as of yet, and yes johan she has been brooding, there was 2 eggs that were slightly damaged which i removed immediately, as for the rest-i left 7 in there-she hasnt laid any extra and has not come out of the nest- as SCB said new eggs cant be candled until at least ten days- so 2morrow ill candle the 7 that i left and then i should have a more clear indication of whats going on- i do believe the first batch were infertile as they should have hatched by now. Still they are humping like crazy whenever she steps out of the nest-STILL?? i am really excited this year with this clutch size and this year i built a better nest box, bigger cage, added all the supplements from early in the season(mine breed later because they were hand raised) where as last year i knew nothing, there were only 3 eggs and two hatched and are beautiful birds now-one decidedly a cinnamon, so cant wait to see with more eggs what colour possibilities there might be.

[SCB 22]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand?

[Skyes_crew]

Any news???