Does Mum know best?

[Tensing]

My Broody Silkie has been sat on her eggs now for 2 weeks.

She had 2 batches of 6 eggs from ebay, and 7 other eggs she stole from the other silkies before I moved her in to the hutch.

2 days ago the dropped one of the stolen eggs out of the nest box, and then today I found one of the ebay eggs out of the nest box. The first egg she throw out had started to develop, but was freezing when I found it. Todays egg seems to have started to develop also, though I haven't broken it open yet.

So my question is, is she throwing out eggs that have died or not developed, or is she just chucking out eggs randomly or even by accident?

[yoanbob]

caroline, our ducks do this, it usually means they have a bacterial infection of some sort and wont hatch, also she doesnt want to infect the other eggs, thats why she throws them out. i wouldnt worry, they genrally do know best.
good luck.

[Alison]

Don't know anything about hatching (or birds for that matter) but is it normal for one bird to be sitting on 19 eggs? Seems an awful lot to me or have I miscalculated?

[Tensing]

She would have more if she had her way, I thought all the others had stopped laying, but she was just stealing them before I could get them.

[yoanbob]

shes gonna stuggle with that many to bring them all up maturity, keep candling and let her get rid of any duds, the first time plum did this we were terrified shed gone bonkers or started egg eating, but apparently its normal and healthy.

[Tensing]

Thanks, I'm going candleing tonight when she is asleep hopefully