First post.

[Midwestsire]

Hi everyone,
I've had hens for a about two years.
I've two RRRs, two australorps, two americuna's, a black sex link, and a barred rock.
I also have a buff orp roo.

Yesterday I couldn't collect eggs. They've two nest boxes but all lay in same one. Every time I went out there was a hen on the nest. Even when I freed them for their afternoon jaunt one of the Aussie's stayed in the coop. This morning she's sitting on 9 eggs. Six brown and three blues.

I plan on putting her in the tractor with a box of straw and some eggs. or maybe a spare rabbit hutch with a ladder.

Question is how do I know when she started? Did the eggs get cold? Should I set her in an empty nest and be vigilant to take her fresh eggs? Or leave her to the ones she's already sitting?

On another matter. The old rock (my favorite) does not enjoy the roo at all. She has taken to live as separate from the flock as she can and HE appears to try to keep her from eating sometimes.
I thought after spring I may just keep him away from them. That will not make him happy however. I did that one night and he bloodied his face pecking at the fence.

I considered giving her away to a niece but she has a roo as well so it may not help. I'm not looking forward to making coq au vin with my favorite hen but she doesn't seem very happy. suggestions?

 

[Chicken Girl1]

Hello

and Welcome to BYC!

Glad to have you join! Feel free to make yourself at home! Check out the hatching eggs forum and the learning center for help!

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Hi

Glad you could join the flock! If she is committed to sitting on these eggs that she is already on I would not add any more to the nest. If she is truly broody she will stop laying. If she has been sitting on the eggs for 24 hours the eggs should have started developing. Adding more eggs would cause a staggered hatch, any eggs you add after incubation has begun would mean they would be delayed compared to your original eggs. When the original eggs hatch she would leave the nest with her hatched chicks and abandon the later added eggs, her priority would be to care for her hatched chicks. Here is an excellent article on broody hens https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/guide-to-letting-broody-hens-hatch-and-raise-chicks

Have you tried adding extra feed and water stations so he can't stop her from eating? I think either way if things are very bad for them the only way would be to seperate them. Would she be happy if you kept her on her own? As you said she has been keeping her self seperate from the flock.

Wishing you the very best of luck and hope you enjoy BYC

 

[Urban Flock]

Hi

Glad you could join the flock! If she is committed to sitting on these eggs that she is already on I would not add any more to the nest. If she is truly broody she will stop laying. If she has been sitting on the eggs for 24 hours the eggs should have started developing. Adding more eggs would cause a staggered hatch, any eggs you add after incubation has begun would mean they would be delayed compared to your original eggs. When the original eggs hatch she would leave the nest with her hatched chicks and abandon the later added eggs, her priority would be to care for her hatched chicks. Here is an excellent article on broody hens https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/guide-to-letting-broody-hens-hatch-and-raise-chicks

Have you tried adding extra feed and water stations so he can't stop her from eating? I think either way if things are very bad for them the only way would be to seperate them. Would she be happy if you kept her on her own? As you said she has been keeping her self seperate from the flock.

Wishing you the very best of luck and hope you enjoy BYC

Great information. I agree.

 

[Wyandottes7]

Hello, and welcome to BYC!

I'm glad you joined our community.

You've received some excellent advice from Yorkshire Coop!

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined!

 

[drumstick diva]

Great info from Yorkshire Coop. Personally I would ditch the rooster and keep the hen. There are too many great roosters looking for homes to ever keep one that isn't.

Never a good reason to keep a bad rooster. There is a glut of roosters on the market, some even show/breeder quality for very decent prices.