Broody hen disrupting egg-laying?

[Rooster Giddens]

The answer to all of those is "yes". She is in there as I type, sitting on a pile of fake eggs. We have no rooster, so no chance of hatching.
Thanks so much for the pic of the dog pen! That helps a lot. I will have to place it outside of the coop (we have a smallish one because only 3 hens).
I will try all of those things.
Thanks again!

Well,that changes my first answer, kind of.I thought she was setting on fertile eggs!! Hahaha!! Poor #3

 

[HenLuv]

Well,that changes my first answer, kind of.I thought she was setting on fertile eggs!! Hahaha!! Poor #3

I do try to mark the eggs accurately, and even keep an egg record book (for health monitoring, mostly). Although we have a camera pointed at the nest box, I will often go out to do a head count anyway, especially if I can't tell who is in there. Fortunately for me, they each have a particular style of egg! The dominant one's are always larger and bullet-shaped, #2's are smaller, tear-shaped, and pale, frequently with spots. #3's are large and rounder at the base, often paler than #1's. Having only 3 chickens sure helps.

 

[HenLuv]

Sometimes broodiness is contagious.. that may be the case.
Or maybe one or more are eating the eggs. If this is the case, make sure to buy crushed oyster shells or some source of calcium from your local feed store.

I haven't seen signs of that yet, but I will definitely keep an eye out, and provide the supplemental shells.

 

[All4Eggz]

Update: Since the weather will not allow me to try the dog cage today, I left my broody hen on her nest all morning, tending those wooden eggs. That freed up the bottom of two vertical nest boxes, so I placed the last of the wooden eggs there (all of which I'd removed yesterday morning in an attempt to get Broody to leave). Prissy (the dominant hen) laid a perfectly beautiful and welcomed egg in the bottom box, even while her broody sister occupied/guarded the top. I'm hoping that hen #2 will now follow #1's example.

Good luck! Sounds like a plan

 

[Rooster Giddens]

After reading posts on broodiness, I am certain that is what my #3 Australorp is doing. However, I have gone a few days in a row now without ANY eggs, from any of my girls. Why are the other two not laying either?
#3 barely eats. I have taken her out a couple times a day to make sure she gets some food and water. I've even tried enticing her with her favorite: apples, but she takes only one or two small pieces from my hand. I'm beginning to worry now if she's broody as well as sick.
About the cage thing, I'm not quite sure how to manage that, but I will read on for more information. Next question is how to encourage the other two to get back to work while the one is in the time-out cage?

Make sure that you have marked the eggs #3 is setting on,otherwise you will have eggs at different stages of development. The maturnal instincts have kicked in and #3 may choose not to eat as much as usual or stay off her nest as long for fear of the other hens using her nest. Sometimes the other hens may slip in her nest and lay which is why you need to mark hers just in case. I hope this helps,good luck and let us she some pictures of the newly hatched babies when they arrive!