My Broody Hen Is Being a Real Octo-Mom!

[bluey]

So, I get my broody delaware mix hen, Churkey, 4 Buff Orpington eggs to hatch. I also throw a few EE eggs in there to hatch for a friend.

Here she is happily sitting on her eggs in the coop:

Unfortunately, every day I check on her, she has hoarded another egg or two and added them to her pile. As fast as I take them away, she adds more that the other hens lay near her. I think she's gone mental like the Octo-Mom.

I checked under her tonight...look at that pile o' eggs! Thank god I have the ones I want hatched marked with pencil...ugh!!!

I think left to her own devices, she'd be sitting on a mountain of eggs!

 

[warmfuzzies]

Mine ended up setting on 17 or 18.

But she was able to cover them all, cause out of the original 10 I gave her, 8 hatched. The later ones were growing, but she left them, of course, after the chicks were up and running around.

She is such a better incubator then me!!

 

[buck-wild-chick]

I luv the nest box

 

[warmfuzzies]

Oh, and i love the 'loft'!

 

[shelleyd2008]

If you have the ones marked that you originally set under her, you should take the other eggs out as she steals them. If she gets too many eggs under her she might not be able to cover/turn them properly, and you could end up losing the ones you want

 

[bluey]

Quote:
Yep, that's pretty much what I've been doing...

 

[hollymh]

I love the "loft" and that is a whole lotta eggs she has there!!! Good luck with your Octo-mom chicken!

 

[Panther Creek Poultry]

Love the Loft............Yes she is definately wanting to do her duty!

 

[bluey]

She is a steady broody and a great momma. No need for an incubator and seemingly all their troubles here!

 

[HenHaven]

What a pretty girl! I love broodies--but they can be greedy!

I have never had one go broody in a nestbox, though. Mine usually create a hidey hole somewhere and I have to go searching for them.

When are the eggs due to hatch? Of course, we will need more pics!