Hen won’t stay on cluster

[jamieleonard]

Hi there, I have a hen who keeps laying eggs in random spots. This is her 3rd go at it. She’s up to 21 eggs. She just keeps laying them but won’t sit on them. Should I incubate them, or just start taking them from her from now on? (First batch ravens found and ate, second ones she didn’t lay on and were in the rain so I brought in an incubated them, was able to hatch 7, and now her 3rd cluster is up to 21 eggs.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Is she broody? Many hens no longer go broody.

 

[featheredplanets]

If she’s not broody, she won’t brood the eggs (or chicks if you hatch them out). Is there a reason you’re not retraining her to lay in a nest box? That would be safer, especially if you’re wanting her to set on the eggs if she goes broody. It’s normal for hens to use the same place to lay an egg, it doesn’t mean they’re building a clutch, but even if they are, that doesn’t mean they’re going broody.

 

[aart]

Gather eggs daily.
If you want to try to 'make' a hen go broody(long shot) by 'stacking' egg, use fake ones.