Our backyard flock currently has 3 hens, 5 pullets, 2 roosters, and 2 babies that all live (somewhat) in harmony! But in the past few days, one of our hens, little Goli, has become broody, often sitting on an egg shaped rock we put in the nest boxes to help guide the chickens to where they should be laying their eggs. Usually, she sat on it at night and slept on it, but then in the morning was bored of that and came outside with the rest of the flock.
But this morning, when I let the flock out, I noticed she was again sitting on the rock, but also had laid one of her own eggs next to it and was sitting on both. Any time someone tried to get near her, she would scream and ruffle her feathers. She barely let me put a bowl of food and water for her in the box!
She's been laying eggs for nearly 6 months now, about 1 a day or 1 every two days, all with no problem. Our alpha rooster recently came into maturity and began mating with the hens, and Goli is definitely his favorite, so I don't doubt she's definitely becoming broody!
The only problem is, I can't tell if the egg she's laid is actually fertilized? She won't let me near enough to her to check. I've also been reading that a broody hen won't typically incubate her first egg if there's only 1 under there, or if she's never done it before. We have no other fertilized eggs to give her; one of our other egg layers is about to lay one now, but she and her sister haven't shown any signs of having fertilized eggs. They really dislike the rooster, and every egg we've cracked and eaten hasn't been fertilized.
So should I try and sneak some of our other hens' eggs underneath her? Should I try and take the rock and her 1 egg away from her until I can collect enough for her to incubate a few? Is she actually broody or just going through a phase? We've had many chickens, but we've never had broody chickens before so this is a first for me, any help or insight is appreciated!
Additional info: I have no idea what breed she is, but she's very tiny. She is mostly grey with a white speckled pattern, and has skinny legs and is VERY small and light. The eggs she usually lays are very small white ones.
But this morning, when I let the flock out, I noticed she was again sitting on the rock, but also had laid one of her own eggs next to it and was sitting on both. Any time someone tried to get near her, she would scream and ruffle her feathers. She barely let me put a bowl of food and water for her in the box!
She's been laying eggs for nearly 6 months now, about 1 a day or 1 every two days, all with no problem. Our alpha rooster recently came into maturity and began mating with the hens, and Goli is definitely his favorite, so I don't doubt she's definitely becoming broody!
The only problem is, I can't tell if the egg she's laid is actually fertilized? She won't let me near enough to her to check. I've also been reading that a broody hen won't typically incubate her first egg if there's only 1 under there, or if she's never done it before. We have no other fertilized eggs to give her; one of our other egg layers is about to lay one now, but she and her sister haven't shown any signs of having fertilized eggs. They really dislike the rooster, and every egg we've cracked and eaten hasn't been fertilized.
So should I try and sneak some of our other hens' eggs underneath her? Should I try and take the rock and her 1 egg away from her until I can collect enough for her to incubate a few? Is she actually broody or just going through a phase? We've had many chickens, but we've never had broody chickens before so this is a first for me, any help or insight is appreciated!
Additional info: I have no idea what breed she is, but she's very tiny. She is mostly grey with a white speckled pattern, and has skinny legs and is VERY small and light. The eggs she usually lays are very small white ones.
