Kentuckyrain
Chirping
This is my first time having a broody hen. My Showgirl just started laying about a month ago, laid for 2 weeks, then went broody sitting on an empty nest box for about a week, now she has been sitting on a nest box that has 7 fertilized eggs from other hens, not hers. She had plucked lots of her feathers off her belly and makes a cry noise and puts her head down if I go near her. Today makes day 9 that she has been sitting on the eggs. I marked all of them like the 2nd day of her sitting on them.
My problem is, that I have other laying hens that keep getting up in her nest box everyday and not only laying their eggs, but my hubby witnessed one yesterday that was pecking the crap outa my Showgirl until she left her own nest. I have collected as many as 7 additional eggs a day that are being added to her box, but none of the other layers seem interested in sitting on them, just getting up there and adding to them.
I noticed today, that her 7 eggs that she has been sitting on for 9 days now, are all dirty with pooh and look discusting.
Any advice on what to do to keep the others out of her box? Or should I just isolate her in a smaller coop inside the main coop? She is the only Showgirl that I have and she is the most friendliest and docile hen I have.
Also, will the eggs be ok being all poopy and ucky???
My problem is, that I have other laying hens that keep getting up in her nest box everyday and not only laying their eggs, but my hubby witnessed one yesterday that was pecking the crap outa my Showgirl until she left her own nest. I have collected as many as 7 additional eggs a day that are being added to her box, but none of the other layers seem interested in sitting on them, just getting up there and adding to them.
I noticed today, that her 7 eggs that she has been sitting on for 9 days now, are all dirty with pooh and look discusting.
Any advice on what to do to keep the others out of her box? Or should I just isolate her in a smaller coop inside the main coop? She is the only Showgirl that I have and she is the most friendliest and docile hen I have.
Also, will the eggs be ok being all poopy and ucky???