Brooder Sitting on Other Hen's Eggs

[Soonerchicksjk]

We have a brooder nesting in her box and when our other hens attempt to lay, they go into her box and lay their eggs and she scoots them under her to brood..Is this common ? What can we do to correct it and get the other hens to lay in their own boxes ? Thanks All !

 

[ChickenCanoe]

That's exactly what they do. You can't really change it unless you put her in her own housing. The easiest technique is to mark the initial eggs with the lay date. Then remove any volunteers or there will be problems later.

 

[sourland]

Limit access to the setting hen. Other hens laying in the nest can result in cracked and broken eggs as well as a staggered hatch. All of this generally leads to a low percentage hatch rate.