Are they broody or just really lazy?

[Gigachad poultry]

My test to see if a hen is a committed broody and deserves hatching eggs is that she spend two consecutive nights on the nest instead of sleeping in her normal spot. I consider all those other things as signs that she might be thinking about being broody, not that she is totally committed. From what you posted it sounds like they are,

It looks like you still have the eggs piled up from when you were on vacation. One time when I returned from vacation and the chicken sitter did not take the eggs like she was supposed to I found two hens on two different nests acting broody, each with over a dozen eggs. This was after dark. I removed those eggs so I could start collecting fresh eggs for them to hatch and neither went back to the nests. They were not that broody.

I wanted to start with fresh eggs to avoid a staggered hatch. Since you were gone and don't know what was going on, the other hens were probably adding eggs even after they went broody, if they really are. I want all the eggs started together so they will hatch together, staggered hatches are too stressful to me and are often not that successful.

It sounds like you want them to be broody. From my experience I'd mark 3 or 4 eggs under each hen an remove the rest. Start collecting fresh eggs, removing them every day. When you have all you want to hatch mark them and start them all at the same time, removing the previously marked eggs. Then check under them daily after the others have laid and remove any that don't belong. By then you should know that they really are broody and you can avoid a staggered hatch.

Wow thank you for the help. I'll be sure to remove existing eggs and put new eggs under them with check marks do I know which is which. I did see that the hens did leave around mid day, because they were simply overheating in the nest boxes and they were forced to leave. I don't know if it's completely safe for them to brood as it just gets so hot so I'm hoping to make a smaller pen for any that go broody and so I can truly avoid a staggered hatch.

 

[Gigachad poultry]

I'll also candle the eggs to see if any existing eggs need to be incubated, because I'd hate to kill any developmenting embryos.

 

[Gigachad poultry]

I do also think they might just be making brood patches and are simply "test sitting" and are testing and experimenting on whether or not they want to go broody.

 

[Saveria]

That's great, it sounds like you know what you are doing.

 

[Saveria]

They will leave the besting boxes periodically to eat, drink and dust bathe normally, but they will go rigt back after a few minutes if they are serious about it.

 

[Gigachad poultry]

They will leave the besting boxes periodically to eat, drink and dust bathe normally, but they will go rigt back after a few minutes if they are serious about it.

Yeah I've seen them do that, but the cooler thing is that they are always together sense they both went broody and last year when Susan had chicks, Eda actually separated from the flock for a bit to help rear the chicks and would do what Susan did. It was almost like Susan was teaching her how to be a mom.

 

[Saveria]

Yeah I've seen them do that, but the cooler thing is that they are always together sense they both went broody and last year when Susan had chicks, Eda actually separated from the flock for a bit to help rear the chicks and would do what Susan did. It was almost like Susan was teaching her how to be a mom.

That's so cool when they do that.