Looking for advice on how to allow one hen to sit on eggs while collecting others...

[chanceosunshine]

Our Faverolle is broody. I've kicked her off the nest every night and taken the eggs but I'd like to her have a clutch to see if she can hatch them. What is the best way of going about this without physically segregating her? I was thinking about marking the eggs she has (there would only be 5 maximum) but wondered- 1. if the sharpie would somehow ruin the egg and 2. if I would mess with the eggs too much to remove the other eggs. OR would the other chickens just lay in the other boxes?
Thanks

 

[JaeG]

Your other hens will likely keep using the box the broody is using (because in their minds it will be the best one)!

Sharpie is fine to use on eggs so go ahead and mark them and then collect any others daily.

You may have to segregate your broody once the chicks hatch (just with some wire around the box they are in) until the chicks have bonded with their mother and you've had a chance to assess how your other birds will react. Faverolles tend to be very docile so the other hens may take exception to the chicks and hurt them. It depends on her personality and how far up she is in the hierarchy of the flock as to how well she will be able to defend against other hens if they decide to make trouble.

 

[sourland]

The best way to guarantee a successful hatch is to segregate the setting hen from other birds. Other birds laying in the nest can result in cracked eggs and killed chicks.

 

[chanceosunshine]

Your other hens will likely keep using the box the broody is using (because in their minds it will be the best one)!

Sharpie is fine to use on eggs so go ahead and mark them and then collect any others daily.

You may have to segregate your broody once the chicks hatch (just with some wire around the box they are in) until the chicks have bonded with their mother and you've had a chance to assess how your other birds will react. Faverolles tend to be very docile so the other hens may take exception to the chicks and hurt them. It depends on her personality and how far up she is in the hierarchy of the flock as to how well she will be able to defend against other hens if they decide to make trouble.

Thank you! I'll go ahead and mark them.

All the girls seem to be pretty chill, but I'll keep an eye on the situation if we get blessed with peeps!

 

[chanceosunshine]

The best way to guarantee a successful hatch is to segregate the setting hen from other birds. Other birds laying in the nest can result in cracked eggs and killed chicks.

I really only have one option if I wanted to do that and then she’d be completely alone. She may not even care though....hmmm...

If I moved her out completely would she remain happily on the nest or is that a “maybe”?

 

[Percheron chick]

She won't care.

 

[JaeG]

I really only have one option if I wanted to do that and then she’d be completely alone. She may not even care though....hmmm...

If I moved her out completely would she remain happily on the nest or is that a “maybe”?

A broody chook is perfectly happy by themselves but you will need to move her and her nest in the dark so that she wakes up in the morning and thinks that's where she's always been. Make sure she can't see her old nesting spot or she will try to get back to it.

You will need to re-integrate her and her chicks but I prefer to put the broody by herself. Then I can ensure she's taking sufficient breaks, eating enough, and you don't have to worry about her collecting more eggs or having the other hens bully her (broody chickens are often bullied because they are acting differently).

For some people it works to have their hens brood and hatch in the main coop but you do have to keep a close eye on things and risk losing eggs if things don't go as planned.

 

[cmom]

She may or may not. I have had some start and then quit so then I use plan B, the incubator. If she is a serious broody she will sit. I have a broody box I made out of a rabbit hutch. Good luck so far when I have let a broody sit. Good luck and have fun...
This girl was serious. I had to make her get off the nest daily. I would block the nest off and as soon as I unblocked it so she could get back on, she was on it like a shot.

This one would get off on her own daily to eat drink and poop.

 

[cmom]

I had a broody sitting on a nest. I gave her 6 eggs to hatch. I left her in the coop. One day I decided to look at the eggs. To my surprise there were 18 eggs under her. Apparently when she got off the nest another female would get on it and lay an egg. I put the eggs in an incubator. Every time I checked her, I thought, she was on the nest. Now I realize it may have been one of the other females. Another broody insisted on laying on only one egg. I gave her 6 to sit on and she would put them all out of the nest and sit on one. I took those eggs and put them in the incubator. Now I don't let them brood. You never know.

 

[chanceosunshine]

A broody chook is perfectly happy by themselves but you will need to move her and her nest in the dark so that she wakes up in the morning and thinks that's where she's always been. Make sure she can't see her old nesting spot or she will try to get back to it.

You will need to re-integrate her and her chicks but I prefer to put the broody by herself. Then I can ensure she's taking sufficient breaks, eating enough, and you don't have to worry about her collecting more eggs or having the other hens bully her (broody chickens are often bullied because they are acting differently).

For some people it works to have their hens brood and hatch in the main coop but you do have to keep a close eye on things and risk losing eggs if things don't go as planned.

I’m going to see what hubby thinks of this. I doubt he’ll object though. Thanks for the advice. Do I have to worry about anything specific for handling the eggs?