Broody.

[Kathryn79]

my Sussex hen went broody a week ago, she was sitting on a whopping 19 eggs, 2 days ago she switched beating boxes and is sitting on 4. Why would she do that? I'm a bit sad about it

 

[Pork Pie]

It seems that you leave the eggs in the nests? I personally take the eggs from the nesting boxes every lunchtime (ish) and then only return the eggs to a broody hen. Maybe if there were no eggs in the other nesting box she may have gone back to clutch.

CT

 

[Kathryn79]

There wasn't any other eggs in there, she was sitting on an empty nest, I only had 4 other eggs in another nest box so I put them under her.. Weird.

 

[Pork Pie]

How was she sitting on 19 eggs? - you gave them to her to brood? If this is her first time at being broody maybe she does not know what she should be doing yet or the 19 eggs were simply too much for her.

 

[Kathryn79]

Yeh first time broody, and I had t collected the eggs for a few days, I originally thought she was only sitting on about 10 but when she got off I counted 19

, she was covering them all fine, she is quite a big Sussex hen that I hatched successfully in my bator last year. I am putting it down to first time being broody, I just hope she stays on the 4 now for 21 days after already sitting on the others for a week.

 

[Kathryn79]

Well, she's switched nests again.. I'm putting it down to "she's an idiot"

 

[Pork Pie]

Harsh but possibly very fair

 

[Kathryn79]

Ok, so I know how it happened now. I have another (bigger Sussex hen) that wants her nesting box to lay her eggs in, so she has been pushing her out daily to lay an egg

. Today would have been hatching day but obviously no chicks

. But you never know, if she stays on there another week there may be a miracle

 

[Kathryn79]

And also explains why there was so many eggs underneath her