Broody Hen

[chevydmax04]

I have a hen who has decided that motherhood is in her near future. She has been sitting on a clutch of eggs now for about 6 days. Question is does keep laying eggs while she is sitting?

Never been down this road before.

 

[ThePamperedPullet]

they will stop laying when they get enough under them which might be as few as 1 or as many as 15. if you have other hens that lay in the same box then the broody will try to steal those eggs also. it is a good thing to mark the eggs that you want to leave under her. if this is her first time going broody, don't be surprised if she doesn't set on them full term. sometimes it takes them a couple of times before they get to the hatch point.

 

[Mahonri]

Having been through this before, be certain that she is isolated and that no other hens can lay in her nest... you'll have better odds.

 

[yellowfinns]

Yup, mark the eggs and remove any new ones that appear. The eggs start to develop when she starts setting, and she won't be able to care for them all if they don't hatch at the same time. She'd have to choose between the hatchlings and the unhatched. Good luck!