Need some Advice about Brooding

[kjxoxo1]

I have two hens that are sitting on their nest. The nest is in the coop and I can see about 10 eggs under each one...guessing. I have had broody hens before and was not successful. I want to keep getting the extra eggs but I am scared that if I open the egg gathering box, they will both take off of their nest. My question is....what do i do?? i really would like for these eggs to hatch. They have been sitting on them for about a week now. Has anyone experienced this before? Any advice?


Thanks

 

[Judy]

Have you marked the eggs you hope to hatch? If they are firmly broody, they will go back on a nest -- though they may choose the wrong nest if they have access to others. They don't seem to have much sense about "my nest" or "my eggs." It's really safest to have a separate broody cage or coop for each broody hen, to separate them while they are sitting on eggs. This prevents all sorts of mayhem. They will move eggs, steal eggs, lay on top of eggs being set on, roll them aorund roughly, even fight over them.

I managed to get some to hatch a couple of times, even though the hen was in the coop with the flock. But I was in the coop several times a day. I had to put the hen back on the right nest, remove other hens from the broody nest, and remove newly laid eggs. And I never got 100% hatch this way.

 

[kjxoxo1]

Thanks so much!