okay, I know we all love our birds here, but let's face it, they aren't putting in any applications for rocket scientist positions ... broody hens can actually get "lost" when they return to the nest, and thus end up in the wrong nest! I've had it happen more than a few times, and the eggs were always okay. Heck, I've even read on here of eggs getting accidentally refrigerated and still hatching, so I think you're alright. As for the "lost hen syndrome," it used to frustrate me no end (along with the egg thievery the broodies engage in), so I tried removing them to broody cages as one poster suggests here. That solves the "lost" problem, but then you have to re-integrate the hen after brooding, along with all the problems that entails ... yes, I know they will work it out, but I'm a worrier and a natural born arbitrator, so I find myself hovering in the coop for an entire day just making sure no one carries the pecking order thing too far. So recently I redesigned my nesting boxes with removable inside dividers. Now, I can take out one or two dividers when a hen goes broody, add a front screen and door with a few screws, and those boxes become an instant broody cage IN the coop. I am now anxiously awaiting my next broody so I can try out the new system. If all goes according to plan, I should be able to open up the door in the evenings when I'm in the coop feeding, etc., so the broody hen remains part of the flock but others can't lay in her nest, she doesn't get "lost" or steal extra eggs, etc. Once the chicks are a few days old I plan to leave the door open and let mama take care of introducing them to their coop mates. Since she will be in the coop through the whole broody process, there hopefully won't be as much "pecking order" nonsense to deal with. Of course, I imagine I'll still be doing the hovering thing (sigh ... it's just in my nature), but hopefully it will be less stressful on the birds if not on me.
