Okay, little broody, have it your way (in spades)

[joebryant]

I've been giving all my chickens an antibiotic as a preventative of their getting respiratory disease = 20 eggs so far that I can't eat.
I intended to put the eggs in an incubator to see how many might possibly hatch.
Tonight I was closing the run and checking the two coops. When I checked, a hen was in a nest instead of being on the roost.
I said, "Get up there where you belong."
She said, "Touch me and I'll kill you."
I proceeded to close the door, walk to the back of the coop, open the drop-down door to the nest boxes. I lifted her rear and saw six eggs under her; they had been accumulating in all the nests.
I whispered, "You want to threaten me when you're taking MY eggs. Okay, I'll give you eggs in spades, WRETCH!"
I gathered up all the eggs that had accumulated since Monday in the other nests and stuck them under her.
She's now sitting on 20 eggs. Good luck, BRAT! Call me in three weeks.

 

[HennyJenny]

LOL LOL LOL! You never fail to entertain.

 

[Noncentzter]

LOL - I love it!!

 

[sonew123]

I dont believe it until we see photos!

 

[joebryant]

I just now went out to check on her. In typical womanly fashion, she has changed her mind. She's out galavanting with the rooster and the other hens, but maybe it's just for a quick break. (?)
I'm going to leave the 20 eggs where they are, and probably other hens will lay in that nest too. At the end of another week, I'll gather them all up and stick them in an incubator to see what hatches. Some may have already begun, and they will probably die (?). I guess it depends on whether she was actually setting on them to start hatching; not sure that I understand the time schedule of sitting/setting and what affect/effect it has on the eggs. Of course it could be that she was overwhelmed with having too many eggs all of a sudden. Whatever!

 

[chicksum]

the contrary ways of beast and man!

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Maybe she was just testing you to see if she could win an argument. Hmm.

 

[joebryant]

Quote:
I've dealt with that all my teenage/adult life. Never have won one yet.

 

[crawfordmama]

That's hilarious!

 

[Sunny Side Up]

What antibiotic are you giving them for their respiratory ailment? How long do you give it, how long of a withdrawal period must they have before you can use the eggs?

Your hen may or may not decide to stay broody. I usually let my hens set in the nest of their choosing for a day or two in order to make sure they're serious about keeping on the job. Then I move them to their own private accomodation, always well after dark, and leave them there for another day or two to make sure they stick. Only then will I give them eggs to set. Not every hen has the full component of broody skills to stay on the nest, some will give up after a few days. It all depends on what the little voices only they can hear in their heads tell them to do.