first time broody

[rancher hicks]

I have a bantam cochin hen who I believe has/had gone broody. I noticed her sitting in a nest even though I knew she hadn't laid an egg. Then one day I saw her sitting on one of the wooden eggs in the bottom nest. No one ever lays there so I watched her and reached for the wooden egg and she pecked my hand. I gave her a real egg and she settled on it. The next day I gave her two more eggs and she nestled right on to them. Now I have new layers as she is. The eggs were standard size eggs though I'm not sure about fertilety. I have some older Delawares and I'm pretty sure their eggs are fertile as they've been with a roo for some time. I have a bantam friz roo and he loves the girls, but I'm not sure how sucessful he is, if you know what I mean.
So she's been on three eggs for two days.
Today I go out and she's off the nest. She's outside eating and a couple of times she comes back into the coop.
Last I was there she was climbing up and down the roost like she was going to get into a nest.
Her three eggs still in the bottom nest.
By the way I have a Dominique hen who was in the coop screaming her head off. Which she seems to do a lot.

Well what do I do?

Do I just take the eggs and chuck them?

Do I wait and see if she gets back on them?

If she does will things be ok?

I hadn't seen her off the nest for 2-3 days. She was just laying there stareing. Things are very active and the chickens keep going in and out. I have 5 nesting boxes but I think I need more as they all want to lay at the same time and there is a lot of screaming. Sometimes I see two hen in the same box or one trying to get in before the other gets out.
My computer is down so I'm at the library and have 7mins. left. I have to check back when I can. Maybe tomorrow.

 

[a.felix]

If the eggs have gone cold, chuck 'em, they won't hatch. (if it were me, this would be into the neighbor's yard, but perhaps this wouldn't work for you).

If you want her to hatch eggs, let her keep some (different ones, if these ones won't work) and perhaps mark them so you can tell if other hens are laying eggs by her (which won't hatch at the same time as the others and thus will be useless).

And of course, if you don't want her to hatch any, take them all away

(I am currently at this stage with three hens, sadly. I'm not equipped for more chicks.)

 

[rancher hicks]

she got back on and just today got off and back on again. there were 4 new eggs two warm. I took them out as i don't know how long they were there. the orig 3 are bigger and so it was easy to tell them apart. she's got 11-12 days to go.
I just gave away 6 delaware chicks from incu. and I intend to give these away as well if they hatch. I'm full and just want the experience. I don't expect I'll hve a hard time getting rid of them. These would be delawares too. What hve i got to lose, right?