A wild chicken laid 12 eggs in my garden overnight.

[Friendly_Lurker]

If the hen hatches them, you’ll need to make a brooder for when you take them away.

 

[Thinking of raising chick]

Maybe your loud family keeps predators away!

Good morning. She returned with a rooster about an hour ago and after making sure we knew they were here, eating the mango, tomato and popcorn left out he is closely watching her on the nest.

 

[HarleyBarley]

This is absolutely hilarious and awesome.

 

[Thinking of raising chick]

This is absolutely hilarious and awesome.

It is impossible for a hen to lay 12 eggs in one day.....That nest of eggs has been there for at least 12 days....Broody hens do not lay eggs while broody, so the hen will not sit on them to hatch. The only way they will hatch at this point is for you to put them in an incubator.

Another viewpoint is: the wild hen came back 12 days (at least) to lay those eggs. Leave the eggs alone. I bet she will return and so long as she is left alone, she will sit on the eggs.

I would put a container of water close-ish to the nest. If she is thirsty she can grab a sip and return quickly. I would NOT pile feed near the nest, as this is an invitation for predators to discover the hen. Be aware that the water might need to be dumped and refilled every couple of days to keep mosquitoes from breeding. Placing the water container in her line of sight will remind her it is available.

Broody hens can and do get off their nest and do chicken things for several minutes at a time. I think some have to go catch up on the gossip as well as drink, eat, and take a dust bath. If this hen isn’t done laying her eggs, she may only show up to drop off another until she decides she has enough.

At any rate, BackYardChickens is the place to get good advice for handling this whole situation. If you have any questions, just ask them here. Read about mother hens caring for babies and what humans can do to support her effort. There is a very good possibility that Wild Mama Hen will handle all the incubating and hatching for you!

Many thanks. I followed your advice and she has returned and has been happily just sitting on her eggs. I had put some buckets of tightly packed wild grass to create a screen but removed it before she returned. I have left them nearby, she noticed and paid them some attention. We have monkeys, mongeese and wild dogs and cats that roam day and night, will she take well to me screening her nest with plants or will it scare her away? Will she know her eggs are behind the screen?

We are amazed it is possible that her nest has been there 12 days, we are a seriously loud family with 2 vocal dogs and 5 puppies, we feed several street cats at our front gate and have recently had 2 give birth in our roof. My boys are 14 and 17 and our daughter 11 they are home 24/7 due to the current situation. None of our children have indoor voices EVER and we have to slam our heavy old front door to lock, that is only 6ft away. Our post lady puts our mail through that window and confirmed she has not noticed the nest. I even had the puppies out there last Friday while I cleaned their pens out back.
I put some food at first light on the curbside next to our bin as wild chickens often scratch out there on a morning and she and the rooster are from it. I do hope she likes it here and stays long enough to hatch the eggs.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

She knows where her eggs are and you screening them will not confuse her, nor cause her to abandon them. If you are worried about that, put up one bucket of wild grass a day so she gets used to it gradually. If nothing has gotten her eggs yet, the nest is probably safe enough already without your assistance. Sounds like you are a chicken keeper!

 

[Thinking of raising chick]

Good afternoon, I live on the island of Barbados where there are many wild/street hens. Although we have discussed keeping chickens and ducks and have kept an area of our garden quite wild for it, we haven't got around to it yet, until it seems today. I awoke to find a wild hen nesting in a corner, I put her some food and water down nearby but left her well alone. She has since after making a racket left my yard leaving a whopping 12 eggs behind. Will she come back? Should I just leave them? It would be nice to have them hatch but a complete beginner I have no idea what to do for the best. Is it even normal for a hen to lay 12 eggs?
Thanks I'm advance for any help offered.

*Update the chicken has returned at 8 am today with a rooster. After announcing their arrival he has perched on the wall and is watching her on the nest. Eggciting stuff

UPDATE
We have baby chicks
Mom's sitting is paying off.
For a full 20 days and nights she has sat. She has made friends with a cat that arrived shortly after she did, also claiming a home, refused to leave her nest for the roosters visits and allowed me to build a coop around her as she sat.
This morning she met me, proudly showing off her chicks.
I'm not sure if she'll stay once they are all hatched but for now at least we have baby chicks

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Thanks for the update! How many chicks, and can we get pics?

 

[Thinking of raising chick]

I think I have counted 6 so far, I've left her well alone but will sneak some pics before I lock her in for the night.

 

[Ruby Rogue]

This is so cool !

 

[Chickassan]

So, is anybody going to say it?
Your garden is going to be the neighborhood chicken hang out now.
She has done well so there will be others,they gossip you know.