Please help! confused

[AnimalLover99]

My buff orpington (who i thought was a boy but glad shes not) was in the nesting boxes when i came down to check for eggs. I dont know if she has gone broody or laying an egg. She is just sitting there and she picks up peices of shavings and hay and puts them under her. she also puts her head under and moves some things around. I thought this meant she was broody, but i dont have any experience with this sort of thing.
Anyway if she is broody, all that is under her are too plastic eggs(the ones u use for easter) and possible one of her own unfertilized eggs. Im ordering some fertile eggs that will be here not this coming friday, but next friday, the 21. can i put a few of these eggs under her? Will it not work because she has already been sitting on some for two weeks? Help!

 

[madamwlf]

How old is she? If she is around laying age, she could be trying out the nest box? If she gets puffy and very loud when you mess with her she may be broody. I couldn't touch my broody with drawling back bloody nubs for fingers.

 

[AnimalLover99]

it turns out she was just laying. but, could i still put about 8 eggs in the nesting box for a few fours- a day and hope either my wyandotte or buff orp get broody? or would they hurt the eggs by stepping on them or laying on them heck i dont know. If they dont go broody i can just put them in the incubator

 

[CherylR]

Keep in mind, I'm not an expert and can only go by my own experience, but I have found with my own girls that sometimes, letting a few eggs accumulate in the nest box is sometimes enough to get some of my mixed breed banty hens the idea to go broody. I have hatched a few batches of eggs this way. Of course it helps to have hens that are known to go broody! Hope this helps...good luck!