What to do About a Broody Hen?
Hi Maria,
My name is Lisa and I have a small flock of backyard chickens. I love your website and have referred to it a few times. I am writing you because I have a question that I can’t seem to find the answer to. I have a black sex-linked that disappeared for 2 days. When I opened up the barn this morning she came flying out a me. I thought she had gotten taken by the coyote that has been seen around. Then later today she was missing again. I was sure there was a reason behind her strange behavior so I went searching for her. I found her in a pile of old hay all puffed out like a balloon. I left her be thinking maybe she was just laying an egg. When I went back later she was still there and unwilling to budge. I forced her up and found about a dozen eggs under her.
SOOO…. my question is, should I remove the eggs since they are not fertile or just let her be? I don’t think it could be healthy for her to sit on them since they aren’t going to hatch. If you have any advice it would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks for your time,
Lisa from CT
Stopping a Broody Hen
Hi Lisa!
Thanks for visiting my site and thanks for the question.
It sounds like your sex-link hen first stole a nest (hid her eggs from you so she could keep a clutch) and now has “gone broody” in an attempt to hatch her eggs (although of course that will never work if her eggs are infertile).
If it were my hen, I would definitely remove her eggs and keep her penned up without access to that nest for a few days to help break her of her habit.
Not only will she be wasting her efforts (and drawing heavily on her reserves to spend all that time on a clutch of eggs and forgoing most food and water if she is loyal to the nest) but you will miss out on her laying eggs for you — broody hens stop laying once they are trying to hatch a clutch.
Best wishes for your hen & flock, and thanks for the question!
~Maria
egglayingchickens.com
Maria,
Thanks for the quick response. That’s exactly what I thought, just wanted a second opinion. I am very upset I lost all those eggs. Its so aggravating. I appreciate your help.
Lisa
