Egg Contributiors

[1949lea]

I have a hen sitting on some eggs and have 5 other hens who are adding to the clutch daily.... I've marked some of the eggs so we know which ones she has been sitting on...this afternoon I found 7 newer ones.... I have found quite a few eggs pushed out from under the broody hen that we had marked....I'm not sure if it is the other hens who are doing this or if it's the broody hen.... one chick has hatched and we brought it into our garage and put it into a cage with a light bulb to keep it warm... What I'm wondering is can I bring the broody hen in and put her in the cage with the chick and bring the eggs for her to sit on??? I'm thinking that she wouldn't have to put up with the other hens laying more eggs under her that way

 

[Kiki]

What did you end up doing?

 

[Offshoreorca]

I have a broody silkie sitting in the coop and everyday 4 hens add eggs to her collection. Every afternoon I just take the new eggs out - as I marked the old ones. The eggs she is hatching are on Day 18 or so and developing well. I tried to cordon her off, but she didn't like it - so aside from removing her from the coop completely, there was no way to stop this egg abundance problem in situ.

 

[1949lea]

What did you end up doing?

I just left her alone since another of her breed of chicken joined her in the nestbox to help hatch the chicks out....we wound up with 9 chicks....one was found dead a few days ago don't have any idea why it died the rest seem healthy