Broody hen taking all my eggs!

[Cookies-Chickens2004]

My Black Copper Marans has gone broody. She has been sitting on a nest on the floor of the coop for about 8 days. She doesn't leave the coop because we have food and water in the coop. I have three pullets that have just started laying and they lay in a nest on the floor adjacent to her nest. A few days ago I stopped finding any eggs, but the ones being laid in the nesting boxes by my other hens that religiously use those nesting boxes. So I checked Miss Broody's nest and she's sitting on 10 eggs. She's been taking the eggs from the other girls nests and is adding them to her nest! Please help, any suggestions, advice, I don't know what to do with her. Thank you.

 

[NatJ]

She's been taking the eggs from the other girls nests and is adding them to her nest! Please help, any suggestions, advice, I don't know what to do with her.

Just take the eggs each day. They will be fine to eat.

If she has some eggs that you want hatched, mark those eggs so you can recognize them, and take all the new eggs each day. Crayons or pencils work fine for marking eggs.

If you do not want her to hatch eggs, you can either leave her broody until she quits of her own accord (which could be a very long time), or you could "break" her broodiness.

Here's a thread that talks about breaking a broody hen:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-cool-baths-n-lockouts.1531703/#post-25824085
(The link goes to the post that I consider most useful, rather than the first post in the thread.)

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Unless you want her to hatch those eggs you should probably break her by penning her in a wire bottom crate slightly elevated off the ground for 3-5 days. Otherwise she will remain broody for a long time.

 

[Cookies-Chickens2004]

Just take the eggs each day. They will be fine to eat.

If she has some eggs that you want hatched, mark those eggs so you can recognize them, and take all the new eggs each day. Crayons or pencils work fine for marking eggs.

If you do not want her to hatch eggs, you can either leave her broody until she quits of her own accord (which could be a very long time), or you could "break" her broodiness.

Here's a thread that talks about breaking a broody hen:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-cool-baths-n-lockouts.1531703/#post-25824085
(The link goes to the post that I consider most useful, rather than the first post in the thread.)

When I took her off the nest I introduced the broody jail. I am now trying the breaker cage and for the first time after 48 hrs. - she ran out when I released her and ran to the flock and behaved normally. She was with the flock for 4-6 hours then she snuck back to the coop and her nest on the floor, and right back to broody.
I went looking for her and found her right next to another hen who was laying so I stayed in the coop to observe. As soon as the other hen was finished laying her egg - Miss Broody slid right over and took her egg and here begins her new clutch of eggs. I picked her up and put her back into broody jail. This time her sentence was 48-72 hours, and when I released her she refused to leave jail. I had to physically remove her from the cage and she then ran out of the coop squaking loudly and running around crazily. Her time outside with the flock was a mere 2-4 hours today. She has mounted the nest again and I must say I am quite frustrated.
Do you have any additional suggestions? I have mounted 2 additional nesting boxes that no one is using - in fact this b#^/$#*! is stirring up everyone in the coop. This is my first broody hen, and I can't really afford to let her hatch a clutch of eggs. I just bought 7 chicks, and I have 7 in the incubator - I'm running out of room in the coop!!!

 

[aart]

Do you have any additional suggestions?

Was the breaker crate wire bottomed and raised up off the ground/floor?
Pics please?

 

[Kenzie22]

My Black Copper Marans has gone broody. She has been sitting on a nest on the floor of the coop for about 8 days. She doesn't leave the coop because we have food and water in the coop. I have three pullets that have just started laying and they lay in a nest on the floor adjacent to her nest. A few days ago I stopped finding any eggs, but the ones being laid in the nesting boxes by my other hens that religiously use those nesting boxes. So I checked Miss Broody's nest and she's sitting on 10 eggs. She's been taking the eggs from the other girls nests and is adding them to her nest! Please help, any suggestions, advice, I don't know what to do with her. Thank you.

mark the eggs that started off in the nest before she started taking the other eggs and then each day, take out the ones without that mark.

 

[Cookies-Chickens2004]

mark the eggs that started off in the nest before she started taking the other eggs and then each day, take out the ones without that mark.

Tomorrow I'm starting a new day with her. It will be broody jail - part 3, I fear. Should I block the nest? I haven't because other hens are using it. Is there a way to train them to lay in a nesting box?
I've taken all the eggs out of the nest and none were hers. She isn't laying due to her prolonged broodiness.
When I first found her she was on a dozen eggs. After candling them 6 were developing chicks. I don't want chicks right now which is why I'm trying to break her broodiness. I will mark the eggs and pull eggs from her while I continue to break her.

 

[aart]

I don't want chicks right now which is why I'm trying to break her broodiness. I will mark the eggs and pull eggs from her while I continue to break her.

If she's in a breaker crate there should be any eggs under her.

 

[Cookies-Chickens2004]

Was the breaker crate wire bottomed and raised up off the ground/floor?
Pics please?

I made 3 mistakes. 1. I used the tray for the crate because the crate's wire bottom has much larger holes than the top and her feet and legs would go right through it. So tomorrow I'll flip it upside-down and use it that way. The top has normal wire holes and she can walk on it normally. 2. I didn't raise the cage up off the floor of the coop for air flow under her. 3. I didn't release her at nightfall to see if she returns to her nest or goes to her roost.

Should I block her nest? I haven't because other hens use the same nest to lay. This whole thing is turning my egg production upside-down!
I will make these 3 adjustments and hopefully change the outcome. I will post pics before and with adjustments.

 

[Cookies-Chickens2004]

Unless you want her to hatch those eggs you should probably break her by penning her in a wire bottom crate slightly elevated off the ground for 3-5 days. Otherwise she will remain broody for a long time.

If she's in a breaker crate there should be any eggs under her.

Correct, no eggs until I let her out and after she is out with the flock for a few hours, back to stealing eggs to sit on until I find her and we start a new jail sentence.