Broody hen swapping eggs!?!?

[ChickenMama1983]

I am new to raising chickens and we have a hen that has gone broody as of Sunday. On Sunday she had 6 eggs, on Monday she had 10. My husband and I marked the eggs she was sitting on. Here is where I have a question, the last two days, she has swapped some of the marked eggs for freshly layed eggs from our other chickens. Is this normal?? How do I stop her from swapping the eggs??? Any advice would be great!! TIA

 

[sawilliams]

About the only thing you can do is seperate her. Not that you have too. It is normal for other hens to want to lay in a broody nest you cant fix this with out moving her sectioning her nest off or just dealing with it. But if she's moving eggs is possible the other chickens are moving them so they can lay or she's moving them becuase the are to many. Sectioning off her box so the eggs can't be rolled out would discourage the shifting of eggs but you still run a chance of then getting fully kicked out and broken. Also shared nests does run a risk of broken eggs too.

If you can't or don't want to move her make sure the sides are high so eggs cant be moved out and the nest is low (like ground level) so if they get kicked out there is less chance of breaking. Make sure her setting eggs are clearly marked so you can identify them when you collect and try to collect eggs more often so the nest isn't over loaded.

One of my girls with 5 eggs would switch nests in order to stop this I based to give her extra (fake) eggs until hatching so she would go to the nest with the most. I have also heard a really passive mama that would take breaks while others laid, she would go in regularly to check the nest but if someone else was using the box she would just go back out to eat and dust.

 

[ScottKelly1974]

I've been through this twice. The broody hen, each, returned to the wrong eggs. First time she was good at returning to the correct eggs and one of the other hens took the chance to lay eggs there. This resulted in eggs at different stages of development. When she came back to the wrong eggs I separated her and the eggs. She kept the original eggs and the new ones went into the incubator. They did hatch a week apart. So you may run into eggs not hatching together. The other hen continued to go into the wrong box and sit on new eggs. So I put her into a brooding cage (having one nest space) with the developing eggs. All of those hatched together.
However if your hen continues to return to the wrong eggs, you may likely lose the developing chicks, and she may not incubate the eggs to full development.
If you want chicks to hatch your best option is to give her her own dedicated nest and cage.

 

[50-45-1]

Hey Chickenmama, glad you joined us!
I agree with the above recomendation to move your broody to her own dedicated broody space or pen. To much goes wrong when you leave your broody with the general population, broken eggs, stagered batch, hatching eggs in the refrigerator because the marks came off, eggs chilled to long as broody went to other eggs.
I use a rabbit hutch for my broodys. Move your broody after dark and it will be less stressful.
Welcome to the exciting world of chickens!

 

[ScottKelly1974]

I've had four broody events. My first hen was with the other hen, and when I received my hatching eggs, I left her with he other hen, at the time I only had two hens, until the last few days. Then I moved her inside where I could keep a watch on her. I remember Sunday morning when I'd seen the first chick running around in the nest. She went broody again this year after two other hen, also from chicks went broody. I've moved them every time to protect the eggs and chicks. You can integrate the new chicks into the flock latter when they are able to fend for themselves.

 

[chickens really]

Hello. I put my Broody into a crate with her nest of eggs. I provide her with feed and water. I will let her out daily to go to the bathroom. I also have put my Broody hens in my garage inside a Brooder till she hatches out the Chicks and at 3 days old I put her back into the flock with the Chicks and zero complications.
Hens appreciate a quiet place to Brood and hatch out Chicks. If she was give the opportunity she would be in hiding a ways off from the flock.