our hens set but only hatch 1 or 2 chicks,sometimes none. the eggs end up spoiled. we have 2 roosters a young one and a old one. we feed the hens scratch, laying mash and a little dry cat food. they dont free roam there in a coop with a 12 by 18 foot run. any ideas what we are doing wrong? thanks in advance. Jim
Hgut, For good fertile eggs, you might just feed your hens a good Layer Ration, or if you can get it, a Breeder Ration. (Mine like crumbles better than mash), and do they have oystershell and grit available? Very little scratch (about 1T apiece a day) is all they need for fun. Do the hens get to set with no other hens laying in their nest or disturbing them? I like to collect the eggs for h atching, every day and keep the eggs in a cool place before putting them under a hen when she starts to set, then you know that temperature hasn't affected them while waiting for hens to set. And you can set the freshest eggs you have saved, so they will not be too old to start the incubation process! Hope you have good luck with the next ones! CJR
By Cjeanr on Monday, March 11, 2002 - 09:04 pm: