Egg Laying Hens

[snavarre]

Hi all. My wife and I are new to chicken raising. We have 11 hens and 1 rooster. Just recently, all but 2 hens are laying eggs. They all lay in one spot in the coop. For the past few days, we've noticed that one hen will sit on the eggs. She has to be pushed away and the eggs have to be quickly gathered. Is this normal behavior? Are we stressing her by removing her from the eggs?

 

[Winter Creek Coop]

She’s being broody. Its normal. You may have to separate her to her her to stop. Or gather all the eggs and she may quit. Or you can let ner set for three weeks and see if she hatches some. That’s fun too.

 

[cinnamoncockatiel]

 

[CalBickieMomma]

She might be getting broody OR just likes to hang out in the nesting box. I have hens who like to take ages to lay their eggs, then just sit in there forever.

Hopefully collecting the eggs out from under her isn’t stressing her, because I do this with my girls, too, and they don’t seem too perturbed .

 

[WallyG74]

Is she sleeping on the roost or trying to stay with the nest even though the eggs are gone? That’s a sure sign of broody if she refuses to roost.

 

[aart]

Hi all. My wife and I are new to chicken raising. We have 11 hens and 1 rooster. Just recently, all but 2 hens are laying eggs. They all lay in one spot in the coop. For the past few days, we've noticed that one hen will sit on the eggs. She has to be pushed away and the eggs have to be quickly gathered. Is this normal behavior? Are we stressing her by removing her from the eggs?

Do you have nests for them to lay eggs in?

Here's my go-to signs of a broody hen:
Is she on nest most the day and all night?
When you pull her out of nest and put her on the ground, does she flatten right back out into a fluffy screeching pancake?
Does she walk around making a low cluckcluckcluckcluckcluck(ticking bomb) sound on her way back to the nest?
If so, then she is probably broody and you'll have to decide how to manage it.

Welcome to BYC! @snavarre
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[CluckerFamily]

Welcome to BYC!!
Sounds like she is starting or trying to be broody. Do you have a rooster?
Does she loudly holler at you when you remove her?

 

[aart]

Do you have a rooster?

We have 11 hens and 1 rooster.

 

[snavarre]

Is she sleeping on the roost or trying to stay with the nest even though the eggs are gone? That’s a sure sign of broody if she refuses to roost.

When I got the eggs yesterday, it was like she was sleeping on them. I was late getting the eggs yesterday with the holidays and the adult beverages and all. So she was roosting. But this morning, I'm sure we have eggs but I saw her out in the run.

 

[snavarre]

Do you have nests for them to lay eggs in?

Here's my go-to signs of a broody hen:
Is she on nest most the day and all night?
When you pull her out of nest and put her on the ground, does she flatten right back out into a fluffy screeching pancake?
Does she walk around making a low cluckcluckcluckcluckcluck(ticking bomb) sound on her way back to the nest?
If so, then she is probably broody and you'll have to decide how to manage it.

Welcome to BYC! @snavarre
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!
View attachment 2472167

She definitely sounds a little crazy. Seemed aggressive too. We didn't even want to touch her. I was able to push her off the eggs and she definitely flattened out and scurried back the eggs. She pushed them all back under her. Especially the newer eggs.