Mark the eggs NOW! With a market..she will not set more than 23 or so days .and thats if as she hatches you take the chicls from her. That will make her stay alitttle longer on the nest but as they hatch and start moving under her she will leave 1thw nest

Thats why I put a cage over my setting hens so other hens can't lay in the nest with her.

Some of the later laid eggs will not hatch but they will have fully formed babies in them and they will die in the shell.

if you know for sure which eggs are the new eggs id remove them from the nest and throw them away..then id Mark the remaing eggs with a marker.

Then id either place a cage over the hen or if that's not possoble check her nest everyday and remove any new unmarked eggs daily.

My first hen for the year started setting the 18th of this montj

I'd mark the eggs and remove any new ones. If there's already a large clutch of eggs you can also use the flash light method to check the eggs and see which ones are further along. Get in dark room, lay the egg on top of your slightly closed and upright fist, and shine a flashlight up through your hand on onto the egg. You'll see a mass if there's a chick inside.

Thanks for the good info. I will mark them today and candle a few to see how far along.

Good thread. Interesting info.

You can also candle eggs with a chunk of radiator hose. Put the egg up to the hose and point toward he sun. Look through the hose. A paper towel or TP card board tube should work too. The bad part of checking eggs every day under a chicken, is keeping eggs from being broke by the hen stomping around.

Thanks for all the great suggestions folks.

I did get her sectioned off with a window screen that fit perfect,has her own food water and grit. I candled about 13 of the eggs of the today and was able to take out three fresh ones. I will let her hatch what's left, of course all different developments in them lol

I am hoping I can throw the unhatched ones in the incubator for a week and see if I can get any more.

WilI be good now, I can use the eggs from the other two hens that are laying (I hope). The village here has been out of fresh eggs for awhile now.

This is a good Texas hen and nobody is gonna lay eggs in her box. Ain't nobody gatherin eggs out of her box either unless you want eggs for breakfast and chicken soup for supper (over her dead body).