Hen built her own nest away from the coop

[Georgetownchick]

I have a Wyandotte hen. I noticed her missing last week one evening when I went to put the chickens in the coop. The next morning she appeared and ate and got water. They free range during the day so I didn't watch her too much. That night she was gone again. The next morning she was back. Finally yesterday I found her. She has built a nest up by our swimming pool equipment. I noticed yesterday that I actually only see her in the mornings when she eats. The rest of the day she is sitting in her nest. A horrible rain storm came last night and I checked on her this morning and she was sitting there all wet. Then it dawned on me...she must be sitting on an egg. I went out there a few minutes ago and tried to lift her up a little and she squawked and carried on so I gently lifted up her tail feathers and saw at least a half a dozen eggs under her. What do I do? Is she trying to hatch them? We do have one rooster so it is possible they are fertile. Do I just leave her alone? She is fairly protected where she is from hawks etc. I worry a snake may come along. Have not seen any snakes this year but you never know. She is up against the backside of our garage. This happened to another hen last week. An Americauna. It went missing every night. My husband then noticed it climbing into a flower pot. I removed it out of the flower pot and saw she was sitting on 14 eggs. Not all of them were hers either since she lays blue eggs and she had some brown eggs in there with her. I put all the eggs in another pot and put the pot in the coop since I was more worried about predators where she had her nest. She has completely ignored it since then. What do I do with all those eggs?

Thanks!

 

[silkiechicken]

You have a broody hen. She wants to hatch chicks.

That said, the nest you moved likley "broke" the other hen from setting. If it's been more than a day or so of no hen setting on those, toss-em as they have likly started to develop. If you want chicks, and feel that where your current hen is sitting is safe "enough" for 3 weeks, wait till she hatches the chicks and then scoop up the whole brood and put them somewhere safe then. Moving nests or "destroying" it in some way often will "break" the hen from her broody state.

 

[Georgetownchick]

Thank you! She moved off the nest briefly this afternoon and I was able to look in it. She probably has 24 eggs in that nest. Where did she get all those eggs? Or all they all hers?

 

[silkiechicken]

They may not be all hers. I would put a date on them all and for the next 3 weeks, remove any new eggs to the nest.

 

[Georgetownchick]

Do chickens carry eggs or are other hens laying in the nest? Also will it make her mad if I put a date on them? She rarely leaves them.

 

[silkiechicken]

I'm going to say other hens are laying in the nest. I would try and sneak in to label them during the one time she is off the eggs. Or at least just take a pencil and draw a line on all of them. Much faster than writing a date.