egg stealing hen?

[werecatrising]

I use several of these http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=885&cmpid=01csent&ref=3665&subref=AA bins for nesting boxes. With my last broody hen, nobody attempted to use the nest when she got out for a break. I currently have two girls setting. One constantly has extra eggs in her nest. Would it be possible for her to get eggs from somewhere else into one of these bins without breaking them? Of course, she has to be the homicidal-ninja broody, so every time I check her nest for extras I and up with at least one gouge mark. I am beginning to wonder if I should just move her to an enclosure.

 

[snowflake]

what a cool idea for nesting box' very clever. And yes the other hens will lay eggs in her nest, 2 in a box is common with my hens. and they some how seem to get the eggs from one box to the other. don't know how they do it but I have marked eggs and put them in one box and the next day my broody will be setting in a different box with the marked eggs and a few extra.

 

[Shiloh Acres]

Yup, my broodies used to do that too. I never saw them, but I sure would like to know how they get eggs from one box to another without breaking them! (I had marked the eggs too, and they WOULD steal from each other, LOL!)

 

[Gypsi]

Really? Wow... I did not know they could do that.

 

[Barry Natchitoches]

Quote:
I thought MY hens were the only ones to move eggs from one nest to the other...


One other thing: I bought a dozen beautiful brown "ceramic" eggs from McMurray. They are so close in coloring, weight, shape and texture that I can't hardly tell the difference between a ceramic egg and a real one, but my HENS can -- they keep kicking the ceramic eggs OUT of their nests!

 

[BirdBrain]

Mommas egg stealers tuck them up under their wing. The guineas do it too.

 

[pgpoultry]

Next time you have a broody and are going to give her some fertile eggs, instead of leaving them in a heap, place them around the nesting site of in front of her if she is already sitting. You will find that she can move 10 eggs in under 2 minutes into the position she wants them. The hen either rolls them with her beak or tucks them under her wings and moves them lightening quick!

Sandie