Egg Laying Question...

[cottnCHICKadees]

Okay ladys and gents,
I have several girls laying. I have several laying boxes BUT every insist on laying in the same box! That being said, I have let them stay in there hoping they would start sitting. I was told they wont sit unless there is 8-12 eggs in a pile and there were 13 to be exact! its been 2 WEEKS and no one will sit! So i gathered all the eggs and threw them away (unfortunately) and kept a few back to see if they we fertile and BOY ARE THEY! Is there something that we can do to help them along with wanting to sit or is there a reason no one will? Thanks everyone!

 

[krista74]

Becoming broody is a hormonal thing, not a choice that the chicken makes per se.

Some breeds are just naturally broody - just the sight of a nice comfy nest with a clutch of eggs snuggled into it is enough to trigger their broody hormones and make them sit.

With production breeds the desire to brood has been bred out of them, so it is not likely (although not impossible) for them to want to brood, no matter how many eggs you put in front of them.

What sort of breeds do you have there?

Another thing to note is that you don't want anyone to brood in a nest where other hens are constantly laying. All of your hatching eggs should be put under a broody hen within the same day, so that they all hatch out at about the same time.

I would recommend that you collect your eggs daily, but leave some plastic or ceramic eggs in the nest. If you do have a hen that goes broody, she will sit on the plastic eggs for several days and rarely get up off the nest.

At that point (once she has proven she is serious), you can move her to an isolated nest and replace the plastic eggs with some real eggs.

Good luck! With broody hens it seems to be very much all or none! I have 3 going at the moment and just want them to lay some eggs for me to eat!

Krista

 

[cottnCHICKadees]

lol okay thats really helpful thank you! I have several breeds BUT the ones I know that are laying for a fact is my easter egger mix, several white pullets, a splash orpington, and POSSIBLY a black sex lincs. So do I need to add more hay and wood shavings?

 

[krista74]

Well, no matter if you want the girls to brood or not, a nice comfy nest box for when they lay is the best way to go. It's good to make them comfortable, and my girls always get really excited when I add fresh hay to their nest and it looks all fluffy. It should be a good 10cm deep through the nest, so that they can nestle down into it and feel at home

Orpingtons are known to be quite a broody breed, so she is probably your best bet. All you can do is make her comfortable and hope for the best! I would put some plastic eggs into the nest for her too - three or four at least, to make it look like a clutch is waiting for her. Once she has sat on plastic eggs for a few days, move her and the nest at night time into a separate pen, take the plastic eggs out and add your real eggs for her to sit on.

Wether she will go broody at all is anyone's guess. They say when you most want them to, they never do! Signs to look out for that she is going broody are a reluctance to leave the nest (other than to briefly eat and drink once a day), sitting really flat on the nest (they call this the Broody Pancake!), and fluffing up like a porcupine and/or screeching at you when you go near her or the nest. If you can tick all of those boxes, you have a broody girl!

Good luck!

Krista