Hen setting?

[MightyMaran]

For about 3 days I had one of my Black Copper Maran hens that would go set in the laying boxes for about 4 hours then come back out. Yesterday morning I noticed I was 1 hen short and went looking for her, she was setting in one of the nests, I went back to see if she was still there 5 hours later and she was. Last night when they went to roost, she stayed in the nesting box instead of joining the other 3 up on the roosts. This morning she was still setting in the nesting box, went out to check again about 15 minutes ago and she is still there. Will not let me pet her, but that is not unusal for these 4 because i had purchased them fully grown and the person i purchased them from did not handle them. The most they will do is come up to me, walk with me around the place and eat out of my hand. My question is this. Is she setting or should I be looking to see if there is something wrong with her. If she is setting I would hate to scare her off the clutch she is setting on. I had been placing the darkest of the Black Copper Maran eggs into the nest she is setting on in hopes I could find someone with an incubator to hatch them. If by chance she is setting, what are the do's and don't where she is concerned so I do not scare her off the nest and can make sure she has everything she will be needing to get her through the set. If she is setting, how long before I should start seeing some eggs hatch, I had read up to 21 days but did not know if all breeds eggs fell into that time frame or what. If she is setting and when the eggs hatch, will the other 2 heans and rooster be a threat to the little chicks?
Also:
For about 3 weeks now I also have been getting some eggs that are soft shellded, not leathery like a snake egg, the shell is crunchy just not real thick like a normal egg. The soft eggs had mainly been from the 1 Splash I have but I did notice a couple of the dark maran eggs that were soft. I have oyster shell out all the time for them, right next their regular food and water. Could her staying on the nest be something to do with that?

Thanks for any responses I get.
It would be so awesome if by chance she was setting. I have been wanting so badly to hatch my Black Copper Marans eggs ever since I got these ones and have had 0 luck finding someone local with an incubator and experience to hatch them for me. I am getting married November 3rd and if the 21 day time frame is accurate then that would put them hatching right around my wedding day. What an awesome wedding present from my little Maran, Petunia!!!!!!!!

 

[Wynette]

Hi there! It sounds to me like your Marans (and, by the way, there is always an "s" on the end) hen is broody. There are a ton of broody threads here on BYC - there is a blue box at the top of each page called "Search" - there, you can search for almost anything poultry related here.

Soft shelled eggs, if you are giving oyster shell free-choice, can be related to old age, brand new layers, or even some diseases. It's difficult to know the exact reason, and it can vary based on whether the bird has had issues before with laying. Do you know for certain which hen is laying them? If so, how long has she been laying, and how old is she?

Also, you do have a male, yes? If you do not, the eggs your Marans hen is setting on will not be fertile.

 

[MightyMaran]

Thanks for the response Wynette! That was what I was hoping for was a broody hen. I guess hearing it from more experinced chicken people just kinda confirms what one reads in black and white. lol

Yes I have a Black Copper Marans Rooster with the 3 hen. The person I purchased the chickens from said they just started laying this past late spring/early summer. The main soft shell layer is my Splash (Snow), but like I said I have found a couple (2 or 3) that were the dark Marans egg.

 

[MightyMaran]

The hen that is setting still has 8 or 9 days before the eggs should start hatching, from what i read. My question is this. The tempatures are getting ready to drop down below freezing for a few nights according to the weather. Should I turn on some kind of heat in where she is at with the cold snap or should she and the eggs be okay as they are? If I should put heat in there what would be the recommended method of adding heat to the coop?
I am just worried that something could go wrong soooooo very close to the end of the brooding! I have patiently been waiting and counting down and checking a couple times a day on her. Definately don't want anything like the weather messing with the soon to be new chicks!!