How to mark eggs under a broody

[FortCluck]

I write my chickens name on them and label them with a number. Every day my broodies know I’m coming to check their eggs to make sure they don’t have any new ones from the other layers. Every day I usually find at least 3 new ones under each.

We donate and sell eggs so I don’t want too many going under them. If I left it up to the chickens they’d be sitting on 30 instead of 4-9

I have thick gloves that I put on if it’s a new broody. After about 3 days of checking they get used to it. I usually stop wearing the gloves after 3 days. Some of mine are loud which makes them kind of intimidating to other people. They’re all talk though.

I find having a certain time to do it, it makes it easier. Chickens are like dogs to me... they get used to routine fast.

 

[BDutch]

Sometimes it’s just better to give the broody a solitary place to brood closed of from the other hens. I let my two broodies sit next to each other with only a room divider in between and the other ladies had access to lay another egg too.

They made a mess. One nest got poop on the eggs. A bossy hen tried to take over (starting to become a broody too) and the two broodies were on one nest from tome to time.

Enough trouble to choose for separation. Hope to get a few chicks today or this weekend. Some eggs are alive, because I listened to 4 and heard 2 chicks squeak peep.