Broody question - where did she get the eggs???

[booker81]

So...I wasn't too prepared for a broody - most of my hens (and the roo) are hatchery stock, and the rest were random hens gathered from other places - no idea on their breeding. I had figured after a year and a half, I wouldn't be blessed with a broody, and had actually started wondering when I would get a couple more hens to help the older ladies with egg production.

Apparently I didn't need to worry. Sometime in the last week or so, my Americana hen has gone broody. When I collect eggs, I usually don't bother the girls who are in the process of laying - I'll just get them the next day. Well, this hen has been in the same spot, every day without fail.

I went to her and sure enough, she started the whole puffing up, growling and pecking me. I checked under her despite her protests, and she doesn't have a single blue egg in there, all white and brown from the other hens.

It might be a dumb question, but how in the heck is she gathering these eggs? The other hens lay in a few other spots in the coop (only in one box, but in all four corners). I've obviously not been getting as many eggs the last week, but I'm still getting a few in those spots - just not as many as I should. I find it hard to believe the other hens are laying right with her so she can take their eggs, but will they do that? Did they abandon their normal "spots" to lay so she can steal them? Or is there some chicken magic involved where she magically transported them about the coop to her corner?

I did mark the eggs she has gathered, and will let her hatch them out, but plan to gather any others she manages to get under her. At least this will solve my problem of future hens for a bit

(The roosters will be sent to freezer camp, I have one roo and he stays as the flock roo.)

Crazy broodies...

 

[stilldeb]

Oh they steal them and move them. I've never seen them do it, but they do. They say under their chins. I sooo want to see this. I've also seen where they've tried to steal them and dropped them part way. And sometimes they can convince their "sisters" to come over and lay eggs in the box with them and then get the heck out. I've had broodies off and on all summer long, sometimes three to a box. And then I had some silkies that played musical nesting boxes, wait til somebody laid an egg and then go sit on it, since she didn't have any under her, then I picked that one up and she'd wait for the next one.

deb g

 

[booker81]

Here a pic of the mad girl:

She is barebacked due to second rooster I used to have that suddenly decided to try to rule the roost and started treating the girls very badly. He didn't make it even to freezer camp, just met up with Stove Top Stuffing. She and the other couple of hens he harassed are healing up well, still working on getting feathers in.

She's always been a flighty one, along with her "sister", another black Americana, but now, she is definately standing her ground to me! Does make me laugh a bit

 

[Godsgrl]

A broody hen gets up once a day to relieve herself, and get some refreshment. When she does this, other hens see a collection of eggs, and realize this must be prime laying real estate, so they jump in and lay an egg. Then not broody, they go on about their business. Broody returns to the nest, and having failed math, continues to sit on all the eggs. Good thing you marked the current stash, it avoids a staggered hatch. Good luck!!

 

[booker81]

Would I need to move her and "her" eggs? She is in a good spot (might have to bust out the easter eggs again to remind the other girls to lay somewhere else), that cinder block next to her would give a good hidey spot for chicks (they could get in and around it easily, no dead ends).

If she succeeds, it will be an interesting mix

The white eggs came from either a buff laced Polish or a California Grey, the brown could be from RIRs, a GLW, a Light Brahma, or red Sexlinks. The roo is a RIR. No blue eggs in there, so no AmericanaxRIR mixes. I like mixed flocks!

I really would like to see what the buff laced PolishX RIR would look like....