Do hens wait for a specific clutch size?

[Talka]

Hi chicken lovers.
I have 1 rooster and 3 hens who decided to adopt me several months ago. They are coming to my back yard every day and leave when it gets dark.
About 10 days ago, one of the hens started to lay eggs in a specific spot. I put a box in there for her and she lays an egg almost every day. She doesn't sit on them (I'm assuming she will at some point since it's a mixed breed).
She laid 10 eggs so far, I took 4 of them because I don't want any more chicks - one of the other hens already came back with 9 of them!
Is she waiting for the clutch to be big enough in order to start sitting on the eggs? If I keep taking some of the eggs, will she keep laying non-stop?
*I don't need the eggs. I'm just worried for her health, plus I don't want any more chickens.

 

[TomZilla43]

Hiya Talka, . No hens don't wait for a specific clutch size, they actually have to go "broody" to sit the nest and that's something that has for the most part been bred out of most types of chickens. I've had chickens for 2 yrs and as a matter of fact have just had my 1st hen go broody in that span of time(I don't have a rooster and don't want chicks even if I had fertile eggs) so this isn't a fab thing for me. Just out of curiosity are the chickens from your neighbors or something? Chickens adopting folks out of the blue is a bit of an unusual scenario(I think)

 

[aart]

She laid 10 eggs so far, I took 4 of them because I don't want any more chicks

Then take them all every day, leave a fakie as bait.

 

[Talka]

Hiya Talka, . No hens don't wait for a specific clutch size, they actually have to go "broody" to sit the nest and that's something that has for the most part been bred out of most types of chickens. I've had chickens for 2 yrs and as a matter of fact have just had my 1st hen go broody in that span of time(I don't have a rooster and don't want chicks even if I had fertile eggs) so this isn't a fab thing for me. Just out of curiosity are the chickens from your neighbors or something? Chickens adopting folks out of the blue is a bit of an unusual scenario(I think)

Thanks for your answer. I know a lot of chickens don't get broody, but I read that when they breed among themselves they start to go back to their natural tendencies. And since one of the hens already came back with chicks, there's a chance this one will get broody too.
Yes, they live in my neighborhood and roam around free. One of the neighbors feed them but he says they're not his either, they just walk around during the day and sleep on trees during the night.

 

[Talka]

Then take them all every day, leave a fakie as bait.

Does it matter how many fake eggs I leave in there? If I keep taking them, will she keep laying non-stop? Will she be distressed?

 

[TomZilla43]

Does it matter how many fake eggs I leave in there? If I keep taking them, will she keep laying non-stop? Will she be distressed?

You can just put 1 or 2 in there, I use golf balls in my nest boxes. And they won't lay any more or less based on that. Chickens just like to lay in a spot where there are "eggs" already(I think it's an instinctual it's a safe place thing) but I'm not really a chickenologist so I have no scientific proof to back that up

 

[Talka]

You can just put 1 or 2 in there, I use golf balls in my nest boxes. And they won't lay any more of less based on that. Chickens just like to lay in a spot where there are "eggs" already(I think it's an instinctual it's a safe place thing) but I'm not really a chickenologist so I have no scientific proof to back that up

Thanks!
actually I took out the first egg, because it was in a weird place and exposed to sun, but then I put a box in there and something on top for shade, and the next day she laid another egg even though there were none in there. So I don't know if she needs the fake ones, but I'll get some just in case.

 

[centrarchid]

Could you show a picture of the chickens involved?

 

[IamRainey]

Yes, they live in my neighborhood and roam around free. One of the neighbors feed them but he says they're not his either, they just walk around during the day and sleep on trees during the night.

Once upon a time in Los Angeles there were chickens like that that lived ON the Hollywood Freeway. Cars and trucks thundered by them all day every day but they lived happily in a little island of brush that was probably no more than 10' long.

The story was that a poultry truck once swerved or something and a crate went over on the pavement. The survivors found their spot and lived pretty much happily ever after.

Periodically, CalTrans or someone would try to clear them out. But, apparently, there were always just enough sly or quick birds to slip through their traps and repopulate.

I moved to Hollywood long after the initial events and almost jumped out of my skin when I was driving down the freeway and a chicken decided to cross the road completely unexpected! That's how I found about about the Freeway Chickens.

Eventually CalTrans got them and took out their little oasis. It's all paved now. By the time my kids came along the Freeway Chickens were just a story. But the kids loved it and made me tell it dozens of times when we drove past the spot where Chicken Island used to be.

 

[Shadrach]

Once upon a time in Los Angeles there were chickens like that that lived ON the Hollywood Freeway. Cars and trucks thundered by them all day every day but they lived happily in a little island of brush that was probably no more than 10' long.

The story was that a poultry truck once swerved or something and a crate went over on the pavement. The survivors found their spot and lived pretty much happily ever after.

Periodically, CalTrans or someone would try to clear them out. But, apparently, there were always just enough sly or quick birds to slip through their traps and repopulate.

I moved to Hollywood long after the initial events and almost jumped out of my skin when I was driving down the freeway and a chicken decided to cross the road completely unexpected! That's how I found about about the Freeway Chickens.

Eventually CalTrans got them and took out their little oasis. By the time my kids came along the Freeway Chickens were just a story. But the kids loved it and made me tell it dozens of times when we drove past the spot where Chicken Island used to be.

Kind of makes a nonsense of all the stuff one reads about natural instincts being bred out of them doesn't it.