crazy egg stealing hen

[tempestinkansas]

I have an older hen who is stealing eggs out of nesting boxes, she is pushing eggs out of the boxes and rolling them over to a nest that she has made on the ground. She is only taking eggs from the bottom row of nesting boxes and rolling them about 10 feet to her nest that she has made out of straw. Why is she doing this, is this normal is she trying to hatch them, this behavior started 2 days ago and she now has 7 eggs that she is sitting on

 

[stilldeb]

My broody hens steal eggs all the time. I think it's a pretty neat trick, seeing as how they have no real good way of picking the eggs up, but they can do it anyway. Yes, she is trying to hatch them. We don't hatch eggs, so I pick them up and they just go find some more the next day.

 

[gritsar]

Sounds like a broody in the making.

 

[AZBootsie]

My broody did the same thing. She had 6 a couple of days ago, but 13 today. Tomorrow morning when she gets up I am going to mark them so I can pull the new eggs as she adds them.

 

[tempestinkansas]

Well I wondered what a Broody hen was and when I watched her today thats what I figured was going on it is just amazing to watch

 

[LiLRedCV]

I got one of those too! She's very dedicated to sitting on them. I've been so concerned about her that I've taken to feeding and watering her in the nest! She didn't come off the nest for several days, no matter what. I've been feeding her the organic pellets and BOSS to keep her weight up. I have another coop that had fertilized eggs in it, so I swapped them out and marked them with an "X" so I could tell if more eggs ended up with her. She's had 7 successful hatchings so far and looks to have more on the way!

 

[AZBootsie]

Quote:
Very cool!! I hope my lady is as successful as yours!!

 

[LiLRedCV]

Quote:
Very cool!! I hope my lady is as successful as yours!!

I hope so too! She's sitting on another 9 eggs and we're awaiting on the verdict with those.

 

[tempestinkansas]

Well she stopped at 12, now I have yet to see her get off the eggs. I wish they were not on the ground as the temp had dropped but they are staying very warm. I am feeding her right next to where she had decided to store all her stolen eggs and I have put a baby chick waterer nxt to her. I wonder and worrie if she will be succisful in hatching them this late in the year and if I shud just let her do her thing if they hatch. this part is so new to me
but very exciting to watch and see what happens