Broody Hen query

[carternm31]

So typically, bad time of year, one of my Welsummers has gone broody. We've decided as we have a small heated coop nearby to allow her to sit on some eggs and move her out next Tuesday. So this morning I open the nest boxes and she's sat on her eggs, screeching at me. Fair enough, later on I go down to check and a white Deleware is sat on the clutch, Welsummer is nearby on the floor. Assuming she left to get some food and water and this Deleware took the opportunity to lay in a nice warm spot. Anyway the Del was there for 3 hours. When I then went down one of my freedom rangers was sitting on the clutch, puffed up and sprinkling saw dust around. The Welsummer was now perched up on a roost nearby. As I sat and monitored the Ranger finally got out of the nest box but the Welsummer just sat there staring at me so I picked her up and put her back on her eggs.

Are my other hens just stealing her nestbox whenever she leaves to lay? Or do I have a bunch of broody hens?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Hard to say just yet. Do you have a means of putting them in their own quarters to see how long they're willing to sit?
Perhaps even if it is only one at a time?
Don't forget to mark the eggs so you can remove volunteers to prevent a staggered hatch.

 

[carternm31]

Ooh good thinking Canoe! I do not want a staggered hatch!
They have 8 nest boxes but all want to share this one. I guess I will see how efficient she actually is when I move her out on Tuesday.

 

[carternm31]

Well I moved her out. Of all the 'fake broodies' our Rhode Island did actually turn broody too! And was aggressively kicking all the other hens out of the nest box. So I moved out the Welsummer and she's happy in the garage. Just in time too as there were a lot of maggots under her eggs! I spent most of yesterday kicking Red out of the nest box. But she was not there this morning, so cross finger she's got the hint. If not I will try some of the other methods mentioned on here. Was refreshing to walk down to 12 eggs in the nest boxes this morning, none broken or moved! Last few days we've only been getting about 8 a day from 24 hens.