Leave eggs or collect before incubating

[ldrchickens]

So I have decided to let me one of my hens start sitting within the next few weeks. My question is: Should i let the eggs im wishing to hatch sit in the nesting box and let her decide when she wants to start or should i collect daily and then place under her? And when will she stop laying? Thanks!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

IF she will sit, she will stop laying immediately when she starts sitting.
However, there is no guarantee any hen will become broody, does not matter how many eggs are in the nest.
Even individuals of annoyingly broody prone breeds may never sit.
What breeds do you have?

 

[ldrchickens]

IF she will sit, she will stop laying immediately when she starts sitting.
However, there is no guarantee any hen will become broody, not matter how many eggs are in the nest.
Even individuals of annoyingly broody prone breeds may never sit.
What breeds do you have?

She is a sizzle. She started acting broody about two weeks ago. Everytime i collect eggs she growls and snaps at me and gets puffed up. Yesterday i laid 2 eggs down while i was cleaning up and she rolled them under her instantly!

 

[ldrchickens]

i also have a polish that gets on the eggs and just rolls them around. I dont know if she is trying to go broody or if she is playing around. I have 4 silkies but not a single one of them is showing any broody signs

 

[aart]

Is she on nest most the day and all night?
When you pull her out of nest and put her on the ground, doesn't she flatten right back out into a fluffy screeching pancake?
Does she walk around making a low cluckcluckcluckcluckcluck(ticking bomb) sound on her way back to the nest?
If so, then she is probably broody and you'll have to decide how to manage it.

 

[ldrchickens]

Is she on nest most the day and all night?
When you pull her out of nest and put her on the ground, doesn't she flatten right back out into a fluffy screeching pancake?
Does she walk around making a low cluckcluckcluckcluckcluck(ticking bomb) sound on her way back to the nest?
If so, then she is probably broody and you'll have to decide how to manage it.

Shes only on the nest until i take her eggs. Yes she does flatten out into a squaking pancake when placed on the ground. I beleive she is for sure trying to go broody

 

[aart]

Shes only on the nest until i take her eggs. Yes she does flatten out into a squaking pancake when placed on the ground. I beleive she is for sure trying to go broody

Is she on the nest all night?
If you want her to go broody, maybe swap out her eggs for fake eggs and see if she stays on nest.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

A truly broody hen will stay in the nest about 23.5 hours a day this time of year - whether there are eggs or not.

 

[ldrchickens]

Is she on the nest all night?
If you want her to go broody, maybe swap out her eggs for fake eggs and see if she stays on nest.

yes at night and on super cold days she stays in the nest box guarding her imaginary eggs lol