I hope she doesn't hate me!

[frankensteinsbride1313]

I posted in my introduction that my girls just started laying a couple of weeks ago. I have no problem at all going into their nesting boxes and grabbing the eggs. The other day one of my RIR's was sitting on 3 eggs, I had to physically move her to get them. I feel so bad for doing this especially since the RIR's are very sweet. The guilt is killing me and I hope she doesn't think I am the enemy. Will this traumatize them causing them to not lay? Should I distract them next time this happens?

Anyone else feel bad for taking the eggs from under a sitting hen?

 

[Buff Hooligans]

Quote:
Yes they do. And since they are all in intensive psychological therapy at the moment, they asked me to respond to this post.

(The hens involved have their own therapy sessions....)

 

[Imp]

frank...

No they won't hate you, or think you are the enemy. And if you let her continue sit she will stop laying.

I have a RIR that sits on the eggs too. Everynight I have to take them. She used to get very ruffled when I went in for the steal. She'd start pecking etc. I started grabbing her by the head. Now she's pretty calm and lets me reach under her.

Imp- don't feel guilty.

ETA Buff...

 

[wegotchickens]

I sling treat food into the runs, and then gather eggs and feed & water everyone.
Anyone that doesn't get up (except my broody), I lift up and thus disturb. But only the broody skips the treats so it's not an issue!

 

[gritsar]

They get over it. The worse thing you can do is allow a chicken to make you feel guilty about anything. If you do, they have a slave for life.

 

[sourland]

Chickens don't hate. We humans pretty much control the market blockade on that emotion. Don't degrade your chickens by assigning human attributes to them.