EE sitting on 23 eggs! Too many?

[2overeasy]

My chickens are free range over 10 acres. The have a large hen house with 10 nesting boxes (15 hens). Of course they only use about 3 of those - ever. And of course, they generally find other places on the farm to lay, like in the barn. When I find a nesting place, I usually leave 1 egg in it so they'll go back to it, no matter where it is. That way, at least, I'll know where they are going.
Well, apparently they found a place I didn't know about - way up under the side steps of the house. I counted chickens one night last week - I always count when I close them up - and noticed an EE missing. So I went looking. I finally found her under the steps. Don't know how many hens have been laying there and for how long. So I left her there. Today I caught her out getting food and water so I went to look.Holy crap - 23 eggs! Brown, white, and blue.
Is that too many? I know, of course, not all of them will hatch, but is there more of a danger of busted bad eggs and babies that get squished? Should I take a few from her? Or just let it be? And should I move her one night to the hen house? She's laying right below the dog door where my cat, who is a mighty hunter, goes in and out.

Thanks.

 

[2overeasy]

Well, I just read several other threads on this and the general consensus seems to be around 12 - she has twice that. However, from what I can see, she seems to be covering them all. She's nesting in a really difficult place to get to and, of course, she's "peckish" about me going near her. Still not sure, though, if I should just leave them and take my chance. I could, however, try to catch her out again and grab a few and place under Cochin who went broody the day after she did... Any thoughts on this, please?

 

[Jeevesrules]

Sound like a lot of eggs, and a lot of soon to be chicks! I dont know much about this breed, apart from the fact that they lay blue eggs!! do you have another broody, or an incubator?? It might make it a little easier for her, but i dont really have much experience with broodys so, just do what you think will work?

 

[2overeasy]

Well, I know that EE's are highly broody and make excellent mothers (just what I've read on the breed). I do have another broody hen sitting on 8 eggs who would take them, but it's a matter of getting the eggs from the EE first. I just don't know...

 

[kimmypie]

Quote:
I thought that Easter Eggers rarely got broody, everything I've read says that it's seldom which was why I was thinking about that breed. I really don't know though.

 

[2overeasy]

I have a book, The Joy of Keeping Chickens, which has a breed chart. It includes varieties, comb style, meat, egg productivity broodiness, etc. Broodiness is a scale of 1 - 3, 3 being very broody. EE's are listed as a 3. That's all I know. However, this website http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html shows them as "occasional brooders." So, hm...