Thief hens stole eggs now what?

[thegibbys]

Here is the scenario..... April 1 we found a hen sitting on 3 eggs, we left her alone for 3 days, then moved her to a quiet coop. with 6 eggs. She continued sitting no problem,

In the mean time April 4, another hen is sitting on 6 eggs, we repeated the process a few days later, she was sitting on 13 eggs when we moved her. She also continued sitting with no problem.

Than again on April 10th another chick sitting on only 3 eggs got moved. she also continued sitting with no problem.

On Wednesday, April 18 we check in on the the maternity ward everything appears completely normal, check under all hens just to get a look see, everything is good. They of course are yelling at us

for just opening the door, just as they have since day one of sitting.
{Kinda like hearing your teenage say, "I hate you!",(to those who don't have teens, that means your doing something right) }

So Friday, April 20 we check the maternity ward once again, no eggs under April 10 hen, April 1 hen has 2 more and and April 4 hen has 4 more. We went back again today April 22 to see if anything changed but no, the 2 'thieves' still have the eggs.

First of all, really, how do they move them, I have 'heard" of this but really?

Secondly, most importantly, now all the eggs are mixed up and I assume the hatch days are changed? and April 10 doesn't have any eggs but she is still mad and sitting on nothing. So we gave her 3 more eggs that had been laid in the big coop and purposely placed one not under her, but near her and she quickly pushed it under her.

So now what do we do? when should we expect a hatch?

And yet again, today April 22, we have another hen sitting. Do they always do this in groups? They are of mixed ages, so it isn't that they all matured at the same time then went broody at the same time. Is it the unpredictable weather we have had in SC? in the 80's for 2 weeks then 60's for a week?

 

[thegibbys]

I know it has only been a bit but several peolpe have looked at post and none replied..... someone please, I'm going crazy here.

 

[bobbi-j]

Mark the eggs under each hen. Differently, of course, so you can tell who's are who's. That way if you have the same problem again, you can get them under the right hens. The two that stole the eggs will most likely abandon the eggs they stole once their own start hatching, since the stolen ones are due to hatch at a much later date. You don't HAVE to let them sit, you know. You can take their eggs and break the broodiness if you don't want them sitting.