Hen laying on eggs, no feathers on stomach now?

[pebbles7998]

I have a hen who has decided to lay on another hens eggs. (yes they are fertilized eggs) She has been laying on them for a day or two. Well today I have noticed the stomach area is feather less??? What happened I have noticed an egg must of cracked as there is yock in the box.
Thanks

 

[Michael Apple]

There's nothing to be alarmed about. Some hens will actually pull their own feathers when brooding some eggs. Just clean up the broken egg in the nest and let her go through her brood cycle. If you don't want to her hatching any eggs, check a couple times a day and remove them. She'll get off the nest, eat and drink when she needs to.

 

[pebbles7998]

So it is ok make her get up so I can clean up the mess? This is my first time having chickens so kinda worried me. :/

 

[Michael Apple]

So it is ok make her get up so I can clean up the mess? This is my first time having chickens so kinda worried me. :/

Sure. Just be gentle about it. Move her to another nest or set her somehwere while you clean up the mess. She may peck you and make a fuss, but she'll get over it. Sometimes that soft drawer liner comes in handy for lining the bottom of the nest box. Mine are made of wood so I like the idea of being able to clean or remove the liner cut to size, rather than scrub filth off the wood.