I live in Adelaide South Australia, does anyone know of a breeder or is a breeder themselves that I could get a couple of fertile eggs from.( I am happy to pay for them) I have a female that is sitting on her 3rd batch of infertile eggs. I have tried her with different males and have seen them mating but she still lays infertile eggs. I was hoping to maybe give her a couple of fertile eggs to bring up. I know she would be a good mother and the male she is with at present is very attentive. It breaks my heart to see her sit on these eggs so well and have them not hatch again.

If anyone can help me I would really appreciate it she has been sitting on the eggs about 2 and a half weeks now. I have candled them and they are all empty with big air pockets in them.

Any help would be great

Chances are after two and a half weeks she will be ready to toss the eggs out around now. If you got some eggs they would have to be eggs due to hatch any day and that is a precarious thing, and shifting warm nearly ready to hatch eggs and putting them under another hen when so close to hatch date could result in dead in shell chicks if they lost vital temperature and would be a waste. If the eggs you received were a long way off hatching, the hen may already be exhausted in what she has been through over three clutches and not up to the task of sitting a further 2-3 week either. She may well throw out the new eggs as she will think they are hers that are past due. I would suggest you remove the eggs and rest the hen, and try later in the year with either a different cock, or consider that the hen also may be at fault. It may well be the case that the hen is infertile. How old is she ?

Edited May 27, 200817 yr by KAZ

Chances are after two and a half weeks she will be ready to toss the eggs out around now. If you got some eggs they would have to be eggs due to hatch any day and that is a precarious thing, and shifting warm nearly ready to hatch eggs and putting them under another hen when so close to hatch date could result in dead in shell chicks if they lost vital temperature and would be a waste. If the eggs you received were a long way off hatching, the hen may already be exhausted in what she has been through over three clutches and not up to the task of sitting a further 2-3 week either. She may well throw out the new eggs as she will think they are hers that are past due. I would suggest you remove the eggs and rest the hen, and try later in the year with either a different cock, or consider that the hen also may be at fault. It may well be the case that the hen is infertile. How old is she ?

She is about 2-3 years old. I dont think she would throw out eggs going by the length of time she sat on her previous clutches of eggs. She is a good sitter. I have tried her with two different males so far and same result. I would keep eggs warm during transit. I have given her a 4 month break after the first clutch.

Edited May 27, 200817 yr by KAZ

Mostly as Kaz suggests hens will only sit a little over the due time & then either leave them or destroy them.