Taking Eggs from Mother Hen

[Je33ieg]

Is there any special way to take eggs out of a chicken coop? I do not have a rooster so they are unfertilized; just want to make sure i'm not stressing my baby girls out -- they've just hatched their first eggs this past Saturday.

 

[Ridgerunner]

There is a lot I don't understand about your set-up and conditions but they are chickens. They have not watched enough Dr. Phil and Oprah to understand that everything requires therapy, so they don't know that they need therapy.

Get over your fear of stressing them and upsetting them. Get a container, go into the coop, and take the eggs. It won't stress them. Really! Truly!

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Put some golf balls or fake eggs in the nest boxes. Then they still have some "eggs."

 

[Chickenkate17]

My girls never had issue with me just grabbing them out....even out from under them. They didn't even seem to notice.

 

[The Lazy L]

First time I gathered eggs a hen peck me. I gently grabed her with both hands, looked her straight in the eye and said the magic words, "Chicken soup".

Since then they might cluck a bit but no more pecking at the hand that feeds them (feeds them either chicken feed or feeds them to the family for supper).

 

[Chickenkate17]

First time I gathered eggs a hen peck me. I gently grabed her with both hands, looked her straight in the eye and said the magic words, "Chicken soup".

Since then they might cluck a bit but no more pecking at the hand that feeds them (feeds them either chicken feed or feeds them to the family for supper).

I "Like" your technique!

 

[Je33ieg]

The reason I am asking is because the hen that is laying will not allow any of the other chickens to go in the coop until I've removed the eggs. I thought that was strange.

 

[Ridgerunner]

That is strange. Usually when a hen lays an egg she leaves the nest after a few minutes. I have had a hen that took three hours on the nest to lay that egg and she would not allow any other hen in that nest with her, but I had extra nests available for the others. And that three hour hen did leave after she finally laid it.

I don't know if something else is going on there but I really can't explain that behavior. Unless she is broody I've never seen a hen protective of an egg she has laid.

 

[RonC]

Mine don't mind me taking their eggs too much. They might cluck a little but get over it pretty quick. My question is how did they "hatch" their first eggs without a rooster? I hope you meant laid.