I'm not sure if I have a broody hen

[chickenlady44]

This has probably been asked but I couldn't find it in the search. I have only had my chickens about a year so this is the first time I have seen my hens do this.

I have 4 orphington hens and for the past week, everytime I check for eggs there is a hen in the back corner. I probably go out 2-3 times a day. Today I noticed all 4 in the yard so I went to check her spot and there were 7 eggs. I left them. I noticed all 4 out for about an hour and half or so. Do you think it could be a broody hen stting everytime I go in? Would a broody stay off the nest that long? Would she sit on that many eggs?

 

[bantam_n00b]

Quote:
Well is it the same hen in the corner? And im assuming when you say in the corner it means where the nest is? If it is the same hen then she maybe practicing brooding if its not the same hen then its probably just them laying eggs. I had a similar situation as yours but it was different hens. What you should do is have more nesting boxes if you only have one, im not sure if you have more than one or not.

 

[ruby]

If she's not broody she's thinking about it. I know 1 year old girls doing this....

 

[debilorrah]

When a hen is broody their behavior is different from one hen to the next - however! Other hens will "donate" to the broody, lay eggs behind her and keep pushing the other eggs out. I had one broody that NEVER left the nest, and another that always left. Now I have three that are shift changers. Go figure. Never try to figure out a broody bird.

 

[chickenlady44]

I can't tell if it's the same hen or not, all my girls look the same

I have 8 nesting boxes, 2 rows of 4 but where she is sitting is under the boxes. Should I take the eggs out? If she is hatching I want to leave them, but I don't want them to rot.

 

[debilorrah]

Leave them..... If yoiu take them away, she will continue to be broody til she hatches something and that is not good.

 

[sourland]

Mark the eggs in the nest with a pencil and then remove any that are added to the nest. Debi, of course you can never figure out a broody--they are female after all.