Is she trying to hatch 'em?

[chickensducks&agoose]

My buff orpington likes to steal the other chickens eggs, and sit on them while she lays her own egg. Lately, she has been spending a LOT of time on the nest. like easily 3 or 4 hours. I go out there at like 6;30 and let them out to run around, and then at 10 i go in to check, and she is usually sitting on the nest. She hisses this terrible dinosaur noise at me, but i scooch her around and take out any eggs. Then at like 3 after getting my kid from school, i go back out there and scooch her around and take the other eggs. Today, she was on there all day long. Is it bad for the eggs to be warm so long? is she trying to hatch them? or is it just taking her hours and hours to lay an egg? help!

 

[RickiHupp]

Yes I think you have a broody hen on your hands!! If you want baby chicks, mark the eggs you want her to hatch and check everyday and take out the unmarked ones. If you dont want to hatch just keep collecting them!! Give her some golf balls or something of that size to keep her attention! Good Luck!!

 

[UrbanChickenMama]

Definitely a broody hen on your hands. I'm dealing with the same thing. There's another post in there that is from someone else that is dealing with it right now.

I don't think she'll do any harm to the eggs by keeping them warm, but if you rely on her laying, if you let her go broody she'll stop laying for you.

 

[chickensducks&agoose]

I live in vermont. They are in an unheated coop, well insulated, but unheated. If i decide to let her hatch them, do i need to get a heat lamp? or will they just freeze to death? If i don't let her hatch them, will she hatch more for me in the spring?

 

[UrbanChickenMama]

I was just reading another thread where the person was advised to put their broody mama, eggs, and 1st couple of hatchlings in crate with supplemental heat. So I'd be inclined to say yes, they'll need heat.

I've also heard that they are inclined to go broody. So if you break her now, its likely she'll do it again for you -- in the spring.