Broody hen keeps stealing more eggs!

[The Chicken Whisperer]

Hey guys! So I have this black copper maran (her name is Darcy) and she is 4-5 months old. She went broody this week and keeps taking all the eggs. She has 13 under right now and keeps getting more. She is a pretty small hen, so I am worried about her and the eggs she is trying to hatch. Any suggestions on how to keep her from getting too many eggs? Thanks so much!

 

[HuffleClaw]

Separate her? I hope you’ve marked the eggs (the original eggs) and removed any extras.

 

[Peppercorngal]

Yes, you need to mark the eggs you will let her hatch out and TAKE THE OTHERS AWAY! I had a hen that did the same thing and had to remove extra eggs many times from her nest. Some Mamas are just greedy!

 

[The Chicken Whisperer]

I just got home from a week long trip. My dad was watching the house and didn't notice she was broody for a while... Haven't separated her yet but we will today. Thanks!

 

[The Chicken Whisperer]

It's her first time, so she probably is just really ambitious!

 

[HuffleClaw]

You don’t have to separate her. Just make sure you mark the eggs you want her to hatch and check daily & remove any extras.

 

[The Chicken Whisperer]

We've had lots of broodies before, but most don't just keep getting more eggs!

 

[song of joy]

If you want her to hatch eggs, I'd recommend the following to increase the likelihood of success:

Isolate the broody hen in a small area of her own, in view of the rest of the flock. This ensures other hens are not interfering with the broody hen, adding to her clutch, or breaking eggs.

Collect hatching eggs and give them to the broody hen all at the same time so you don't end up with a staggered hatch.

Set no more than a dozen eggs of the size she would normally lay. If she has too many eggs it will greatly increase mortality of the developing eggs.

Check some of your flock's eggs for fertility. What is your rooster to hen ratio?

Only set eggs that are normal size and normal shape. Avoid eggs that are too small, too large, elongate, round, etc.

Have a plan for the cockerels that will be a part of the hatch.

 

[The Chicken Whisperer]

Thanks so much! The roo to hen ratio is 1 roo to 8 laying hens. Thanks for the great advise!!!

 

[Abriana]

My hen (a bantam) goes nuts. She leaves her eggs to go sit on other eggs. She’s crazy. Anyway, put her in a dog crate (small one) in the coop with food and water and let her out in the morning to poop and dust bathe. Put her in before you go back inside. Or put a big lip in front of the box she’s in so that she can’t roll more eggs into her box. Definitely mark the eggs she’s had. Remove extras that you find. Check morning and evening. If you don’t, you’ll have eggs ranging from one day old to twenty one days and some will hatch, while others die in the Shell because mama won’t sit here forever waiting for the rest to hatch. It’s called a staggered hatch. Hope you get lotsa cute babies!