broody not leaving nest

[McChooky]

Yes I've found this to be accurate. I make sure there's no eggs in other nest boxes before she comes back for that very reason, just saves me from having to move/handle her too much. I've got a few hens that do graft to a particular nest, but some others don't care what nest they're in, or what they're sitting on.
Juggling multiple broodys can be chore, but I like my broodys on their certain eggs mainly for their sit time schedule, this is where I have a block off or 2 ready so no other hens can get on those eggs while she's out with her dailys.

I need to clean up my incubator and get it ready in case she rejects any of the chicks.I seriously doubt she'll peck any of them but none of them will look like her except maybe 2

 

[wrathsfarm]

I need to clean up my incubator and get it ready in case she rejects any of the chicks.I seriously doubt she'll peck any of them but none of them will look like her except maybe 2

Might not be a bad idea...but I don't think she'll have a problem. I just had a failed hatch with a Black Copper Marans broody. (The 6 eggs were clear). Ended up having to rush to get 3 (Americanas) to shove under her and did it during the day. She took right to them and all is dreamy. The whole flock is black and no one looks at them as different.

 

[Mrs. K]

No, they don’t lay when they are brooding. Sometimes you will have a hen sneak away, lay an egg, come back to the flock just normal. Then one day she looks at the clutch, and it flips the hormone switch, she stops laying and begins setting. The beauty is that the eggs laid days ago, are not ahead of the eggs laid yesterday. Once the eggs have been warmed to 100 degrees, then they begin developing and should hatch within 12 hours of each other.

 

[McChooky]

Might not be a bad idea...but I don't think she'll have a problem. I just had a failed hatch with a Black Copper Marans broody. (The 6 eggs were clear). Ended up having to rush to get 3 (Americanas) to shove under her and did it during the day. She took right to them and all is dreamy. The whole flock is black and no one looks at them as different.View attachment 4199519View attachment 4199520

My leghorns keep my legbar roosters Crest yanked out and will probably attack any crested chicks for having one too.I don't recall anyone mentioning this in any of the posts.I don't have any crested hens.Just him.

Might not be a bad idea...but I don't think she'll have a problem. I just had a failed hatch with a Black Copper Marans broody. (The 6 eggs were clear). Ended up having to rush to get 3 (Americanas) to shove under her and did it during the day. She took right to them and all is dreamy. The whole flock is black and no one looks at them as different.View attachment 4199519View attachment 4199520

Thanks for the pics ! They're adorable !

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Has anyone ever caught a broody stealing eggs to sit on? Our first broody started with three eggs and as we checked her over the course of her setting she had another two or three show up. I believe she laid them because I can’t see any possible way for her to move eggs to her nest, which an elevated nesting box. But, I recall reading that hens do have creative ways to do the seemingly impossible.

My broody has been attempting to steal ceramic eggs from the other nest.

I find it amusing, but her flock sisters don’t. Once they finally brave the wrath of the growling broody in the nextdoor nest, they find a nest without fake eggs, which confuses the heck out of them.

 

[McChooky]

I salvaged an old USPS rural flat mail tote and my hens fight over it almost as much as the community nest box.Go figure

 

[Rick589]

I salvaged an old USPS rural flat mail tote and my hens fight over it almost as much as the community nest box.Go figure

Well, its not as if the USPS was using it properly.

 

[WingItRanch]

@Rick589 I was just reading through this thread. Good luck! I gave my broody fertilized eggs a few days for the first time so it's definitely a learning experience!

Also, I saw your question about stealing eggs and I thought you'd enjoy this thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/do-your-hens-relocate-their-eggs.1663457/

 

[NatJ]

Isn’t it possible that a broody hen may still lay an egg or two while sitting, or is that completely improbable?

I've seen it happen in the first few days, as if the "broody" switch and the "quit laying" switch are a little bit out of sync with each other.

 

[Rick589]

@Rick589 I was just reading through this thread. Good luck! I gave my broody fertilized eggs a few days for the first time so it's definitely a learning experience!

Also, I saw your question about stealing eggs and I thought you'd enjoy this thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/do-your-hens-relocate-their-eggs.1663457/

Thank You for this.