My hen keeps stealing all the eggs

[Themagicone]

I have 7 hens and normally get around 5 or 6 eggs a day. One of the hens went broody so I decided to just let her be and see what happens. She is now sitting on 16 eggs. Stupidly I forgot to mark them so I have no idea what ones are older and ones from today. She has been taking every egg for the last 3 days and then some.

Will she give up stealing all the eggs now she is sitting full time on them? Or should I be worried that she'll keep stealing them and not be able to sit on all of them at once?

This is new to me so any other advice is appreciated.

Thanks

 

[sourland]

How long has she been setting ? Candle, and mark any developing eggs - toss the rest, and remove any that are added to the nest in the future. If possible it would be best to separate her from the rest of the flock until the incubation is completed.

 

[GoatDragonFarms]

X2! Candle what you have, select a couple, and mark them.
And congratulations on your impending chicks

 

[Trux]

Not exactly stupid, How were you to know you had an egg thief? DW had a banty when she was a youngster that used to do the same thing. She would tuck a egg under each wing and bring them back to the nest. So candle and leave her the developers Marked, so when she steals more you know which ones to pull

 

[Themagicone]

Thanks everyone. I ordered a candler and marked the eggs so I know which ones are new. Funny enough I thought she was stealing all of them but I just found a pile of eggs under a tree. Guess one hen was smart and was hiding hers.

 

[Cayuga ducks]

You don’t need to order one, just go in a dark room with no windows or lights and put a bright flash light up to the egg and you will be able to see.