Collecting eggs...

[Vadoma]

This may seem a silly question but, should I wait until the hen leaves the nesting box? I just went in the coop and saw my Red sitting on an egg. She moved, and I took it, and she got a bit upset, and was looking for it. And I feel horrible now...

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I take mine all the time, that's where fake ceramic eggs come in handy, they always have eggs under them.

 

[Vadoma]

Thanks! I shall get some. I don't want sad chickens lol

 

[Blooie]

This may seem a silly question but, should I wait until the hen leaves the nesting box? I just went in the coop and saw my Red sitting on an egg. She moved, and I took it, and she got a bit upset, and was looking for it. And I feel horrible now...

She'll forget in less time than it took you to type your question, I promise! You might feel horrible - she doesn't. This time of year I'm not real popular with my girls for a few minutes a day because I need to get those eggs in before they freeze. If that means there's a hen sitting there that has to be moved, then so be it.

The only exception is if a hen is broody. In that case, once she's sitting tight I don't do anything - I don't grab eggs from under her to candle them, I don't add or take eggs away....I pick up her entire nest and move it to the brooder pen, then leave her alone. I have one hen, Agatha, who goes from sweet and adorable to Attila the Hen in no time flat when she's broody. If I need to put on gauntlets, chain mail, leather leggings and a helmet and sword to go out there, there's a good bet she's broody and I ain't touching her!

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I don't use fake eggs. Reason being is coop with nest lay out is designed so chickens naturally want to lay in nest so don't need coaxing with fake eggs or golf balls. Once rotation of some older for younger birds starts the younger birds lay where the older birds do so really not needed. Secondly if eggs build up in a nest, real or fake, it's a trigger for birds to go broody.

A bird may initially be put off she went through labor then you come along and snatch up the reward but in reality if she was so taken by the egg she'd go broody and stay not leave the nest as they do every day after laying. They get over it quickly.