First time cochin mother hen egglaying pattern + Questions?

[Organie-Cochins]

Hi,

My Cochins started laying eggs just recently, and i have since collected the few i've found when they were layed (could be once every 2-3 days).

Last week when i went to collect the eggs, one of the Cochin Hens was gaurding her two eggs and i decided to let her hatch them. It has been a week and she never leaves her nest and protects it. She has now 6 eggs. I have found no eggs since from any of the other 3 hens, could it be possible she is covering other hens eggs, or are they all her own?

My Questions are:
1. Is it normal for her to keep laying? How many until she will stop?
2. If it's ok, will the chicks be born days apart or a week or more apart? If yes, should i do anything then?
3. Should i seperate her from the other 3 hens and 3 Roosters?
4. It is still cold here, about -6 out, should i set up a heat lamp before or after... if any is required that is.

I used to have Bendys and the only hen that i had layed 13 eggs and then started to cover them. What this cochin hen is doing i have never expierenced before.

I want to make sure i'm getting it right before we welcome babies into the world.

My Cochins are fed Organic, does this changed anything? Should i be giving anything extra?
When a mother hen is covering, are we able to clean or do anything to her nest box or leave it the way it is, when can we change it?

Thank you for taking the time in helping me with all of my questions.
I am very glad to have found this forum.

Have a nice evening,
Natacha

 

[Organie-Cochins]

I would love to hear if anyone has any tips or advice regarding my questions above???

She is now up to 8 eggs today.

Thank you for your time,

Natacha

 

[jeslewmazer]

Quote:
A broody hen might lay one more egg a day (or two) after she becomes broody. I think that 6 new eggs would have to be from the other hens.

1. Is it normal for her to keep laying? How many until she will stop?

I have only seen a broody hen lay one extra normally fertile egg after going broody.

2. If it's ok, will the chicks be born days apart or a week or more apart? If yes, should i do anything then?

you can take the new hatches and try to give them back on the last hatching day. Nighttime is the best time to reintroduce her babies but some hens will take them in the daytime.

3. Should i seperate her from the other 3 hens and 3 Roosters?

I would. Defiantly if the other hens are laying new eggs under her. Plus when she hatches the other adults could attack the chicks. Even the mother could attack her chicks do to stress.

4. It is still cold here, about -6 out, should i set up a heat lamp before or after... if any is required that is.

It would not be a bad idea to set one up, but I live in MS so I never see -6. Sorry I can't help much there.

My Cochins are fed Organic, does this changed anything? Should i be giving anything extra?

Feeding organic is what you chose. I mix my own feed with grains, lay pellets, and a little extra protein. Here is a link to information on Small Poultry Flock Nutrition http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps033 also you could look at http://www.ansci.umn.edu/poultry/resources/nutrition.htm .

When a mother hen is covering, are we able to clean or do anything to her nest box or leave it the way it is, when can we change it?

I would leave it alone. If you have to change because it is wet or a egg breaks and getts everywhere, wait until she gets up to eat and drink. In extream cases I have had to do a whole nest swap....she got up and I had a new nest (with box) already ready so I took all the eggs and put them into the new nest and removed the old nest (with box) and placed the new nest in the old nest's place and the hen never knew the difference.
Hope this helps.​

 

[Organie-Cochins]

Thank you jeslewmazer,

I found your answers very helpful

I would have answered the same day but we lost power for 2 days after a big storm dumped 2 feet of snow and winds up to 100km here in eastern canada.

Now she is up to 13 eggs today.

I did not know about how brooding behavior happens. I figured yesterday that there had to be other hens laying in her nest when she went from 10 eggs to 12 in one day.
The past two days two of the hens that are not brooding have been laying an egg each day on the floor. They didn't pick the available boxes for some reason?

I recently discovered (after researching on here about brooding) that one of my cochin hens is brooding but has no eggs. It has been going on now for 4 weeks. She stopped laying eggs and is now always in her nest and only comes out (that i'm aware of) when i go in each day and just as i'm closing the door she often hops back in her nest.
I was wondering if maybe i should give some of the 13 eggs to her since she has none?

Right now were going to have to do something to stop the other hens from continuing to lay in the one cochin hens nest, she's got the 13 eggs covered, but now i'm a little worried that the eggs on the side may not be getting enough heat and that maybe i should transfer some eggs to the brooding mom with no eggs?

Any thoughts?

We are going to build a pen around the brooding hens nest because we don't want to move her or disturb her and her eggs. So it would be like a closed pen all four side and top around her to stop the hens from laying more eggs and/or future harm to her babies once their born. Does that sound like a good idea?

Once some of them hatch, we'll do what you said about removing and then re-putting them back with her after the last eggs hatch. If she doesn't accept the babies afterwards, i assume that we should remove them right away?

Thank you for all your help!
Natacha

 

[emjay]

My first broody hen hatched her babes just over a week ago. It took 3 days for them all to hatch, the mama hen remained seated until the very last baby hatched, even though she had babies under her.
I think being she was in a kennel helped as she didn't really have anywhere pressing to be, she pretty much remain seated for a week. She is now just up and about scratching with her babies in a bigger area. the nursery, as I like to call it.
Now one week later, I have a second broody, who is now in that kennel.