another hen sitting on broody's eggs

[brummie]

I did not have the facilities setup to seperate my broody into her own area. She is sitting in one of the normal nest boxes . Today, she got up for her 10 minute break to go get a bite to eat.

About half an hour later I went to check and one of my other hens was sitting in the nest box with my broody's clutch, to lay an egg, My broody was sitting in the nest box next door. I immediately lifted the laying hen off the clutch I'm trying to hatch and chucked her out. I then lifted the broody from the wrong nest box and put her back in the correct nest box with the hatching eggs. She immediately got the eggs under her and went back to sitting on them.

I'm guessing the laying hen went and sat on the hatching clutch whilst the broody went for her break. All in all the broody was probably off her clutch for about 40 minutes, but i'm guessing for a large part of that time the laying hen was sitting on the eggs, so i don't think they would have got cold. Will the eggs be ok? will this cause any problems?

 

[Teila]

Hi brummie

I couldn't see your location; what sort of temperature was it outside; not too cold?

My broody has left her eggs for 30-40 minutes in the past and we still had successful hatches. I have read cases where the eggs have not had a broody on them for considerably longer than that, so I would not be too concerned if I were you.

Have you marked the eggs you are trying to hatch just in case one of your other girls does lay an egg in there?

To be honest, I replied to your thread because I wanted to say what a placid broody you must have. If my broody, Cilla, came back to her eggs and found someone else sitting on them she would turn feral

Edited to add a small note: If other girls can access your broody's eggs, there is a chance that they may get damaged or broken; especially if there is some jostling for the same nest box.

 

[brummie]

uk temperatures, we on about 8 celcius this morning. hopefully it should be ok. Yes the most important eggs are marked (silver grey dorkings), however my broody is anything but placid, she beats any chicken whenever she gets a chance. She just happened to be lower in the pecking order than this particular hen that was sitting on her eggs, which is just as well otherwise I might have had a few broken eggs. Fortunately she is supposed to be a good broody (goldtop, apparently one of the best broody's possible), so hopefully little hiccups like this won't by unsettling her.

 

[Teila]

Hi again brummie

Fingers crossed for you that all goes well.

Ah, OK, that explains it; my broody is the matriarch and lets everyone know it while still managing to be the sweetest little girl