Hello all,

I've read through the poultry archives I think I've got a fairly good handle on this but I had some specific questions. We live in Texas where its 100 degrees now. (I'm thinking this is relevant to hens setting)

A month ago we purchased 3 starlight hens 1 buff orpington hen and 1 buff rooster. It took about two weeks before they started laying, then each hen chimed in with an egg. Most days we get 3, some days we get 4.

This weekend my husband came in and told me the buff hen was setting. She only had 1 egg. She abandoned the nest and we thought we were wrong so gathered the egg with the rest. However, for the next 2 days there have been 3 eggs in 1 nest box (before each egg was found alone).

My questions are:

1) Is this hen trying to gather eggs to set on, and should we leave them alone?

2) Can I put the refrigirated eggs back under her or are they neutralized now?

3) If I let the eggs set out for a week and she doesn't set/brood do I then throw them away?

As usually thanks in advance for all of your help!

-- Devera Morgan (anatida@hotmail.com), August 01, 2001

Answers

They're just laying, that's all. If she's setting, then she WILL just set there. Hens tend to be happiest if they can get a clue (hard as that concept might be assimilate when we're talking about bird- brains). The clue they like is to what might be a good place to lay, and the best clue is for them to see an egg there already. You can put nest-eggs (artificial) in there - the kind people in other posts have been talking about using to kill egg-eating snakes, although I'd prefer lightweight hollow ones (like a mis-shapen table-tennis ball) because there's less chance of getting broken eggs.

I think what happened the first few times was they were all laying at more or less the same time. When you find all eggs in one nest it was because one layed, then left the nest. Another came along, saw an egg, said "Aha! That must be a good nest", and used it as well. Later on another hen came along and said "Eureka! That must be a really really good nest", and so on.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), August 01, 2001.

hi Devera, Don's right, hens love to lay where they see someone else has laid. Sometimes they will actually line up to lay in the same nest, even though the next is open, or climb in on top of one another. Mid summer in Texas is not a really good time for hens to set, anyway. I had lots of broodies when I was in Central Texas. I found that if the weather was extremely hot or extremely humid for most of the brood, the eggs would just spoil. You do not, necessarily, have to let a hen gather eggs to encourage a brood. I gathered eggs regularly, and just gave them eggs after they became broody. If she ideed becomes broody, she will pluck her breast, stay on the nest overnight(probably clearest indicator that she is ready), and get off only once or twice a day. She also will fluff herself up and act very important when she is off the nest. HOpe this helps.

-- mary (marylgarcia@aol.com), August 01, 2001.

Refridgerated eggs will not work, they have gotten to cold. I have hens that go broody, so I keep a days worth of eggs at room temp at all times. When I collect the next days, I ut the days before in the fridge. I have more hens than you do though. If you want to be prepared you might try 2 days worth. Plus If you feed just laying mash I understand that chicks can be deformed. I am not sure of the reason.

-- Tana Cothran (tana@getgoin.net), August 01, 2001.