WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO LAYING HENS WHEN CHICKENS HATCH ?

[Mike_3]

RHODE ISLAND -- MY TWO (2) HENS APPEAR TO BE LAYING EGGS IN ONE SPOT -- OR JUST ONE IS LAYING (?).
THERE IS A NICE PROPER PILE OF EGGS (14 NOW) -- I HAVE A QUESTION: WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN THE CHICKS START TO HATCH -- WILL THE HEN KEEP LAYING EGGS WHILE THE CHICKS ARE JUST HATCHING ? -- THERE WILL BE A TIME WHEN I WILL NEED TO REMOVE SOME EGGS -- FOR EATING -- EVEN THOUGH THE COOP RUN IS 10 FEET X 20 FEET -- I THINK THAT ANYYHING OVER (15) CHICKENS WOULD BE THE MAXIMUM I WANT TO KEEP -- I AM NOT KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT LAYING HENS DURING THIS TIME -- I AM THANKFUL THAT AT LEAST ONE (1) HEN IS LAYING EGGS PLENTY -- HAS ANYONE HAD EXPERIENCE WITH ANOTHER HEN DEPOSITING EGGS IN THE SAME SPOT THAT ANOTHER HEN HAS LAID EGGS ? -- DOES A SECOND HEN ALSO SIT ON THEM TOO ? -- I AM NOT ABLE TO WITNESS WHAT IS GOING ON INSIDE 'CASA CHICKEN CHATEAU COTTAGE' -- THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR YOU ADVICE !

 

[rosemarythyme]

Is one of the hens actually sitting on the eggs? Or are you incubating them?

No, broody hens do not lay eggs and will continue to not lay until around the time they wean the chicks.

It's normal for hens to lay where other hens do.

 

[Mike_3]

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH ! --- I HAVE TWO (2) HENS AND (1) ROOSTER -- I THOUGHT I WOULD JUST LET NATURE TAKE IT'S COURSE -- AND LET THEM INCUBATE / HATCH IN THE COOP -- I DO HAVE AN INCUBATOR, I USED TO HATCH MY CURRENT FLOCK -- IT IS VERY WARM IN HAWAII HERE -- I MIGHT BE MAKING A HORRIBLE MISTAKE BY NOT SEPERATING ROOSTER -- HOWEVER HE SEEMS LIKE A NORMAL FATHERLY TYPE.
HOPING FOR THE BEST.

 

[fluffycrow]

I’m a bit confused, so I’d appreciate some clarifications. How many hens do you have in total? Is one of the hens brooding the batch of 14 eggs?

Chicks will only hatch if a broody hen sits on them for 21 days or so. A hen existing, or laying in the same spot as a batch of eggs will not result in chicks. If there is indeed a broody, then the other hens laying in the same spot creates a problem. Mark the original eggs, and remove any new eggs. If not, you’ll have a lot of eggs on different stages of development, which the broody will likely abandon when the first chicks hatch.

If there is no broody and/or no rooster, no chicks will hatch from your eggs.

Hens do like to lay in the same spot as their group mates, so that is not unusual at all

 

[fluffycrow]

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH ! --- I HAVE TWO (2) HENS AND (1) ROOSTER -- I THOUGHT I WOULD JUST LET NATURE TAKE IT'S COURSE -- AND LET THEM INCUBATE / HATCH IN THE COOP -- I DO HAVE AN INCUBATOR, I USED TO HATCH MY CURRENT FLOCK -- IT IS VERY WARM IN HAWAII HERE -- I MIGHT BE MAKING A HORRIBLE MISTAKE BY NOT SEPERATING ROOSTER -- HOWEVER HE SEEMS LIKE A NORMAL FATHERLY TYPE.
HOPING FOR THE BEST.

Letting eggs accumulate in the nest is a pretty good idea when the keeper is looking to encourage broody behaviour. There are, however, some things to keep in mind.

Letting the eggs accumulate indefinitely creates a problem; the older eggs will go bad eventually, and the clutch will become unmanageable as the hens add to it. I’m doing a bit of assuming here, but I’m guessing it’s winter where you are. In that case, it’s less likely for a hen to go broody, not that it’s unheard of.

I’d wait till the weather warms up a bit, at which point I’d mark 6-10 eggs, and place them in a nest. Those should be enough to encourage broody behaviour, and any new eggs can be removed for eating or selling.

Keep in mind that not every hen goes broody, breed plays a role, environment does as well, and so does the way they were raised. Good luck!

 

[FrostRanger]

Unless one of your hens is broody, they won't hatch. RIRs aren't particularly known to go broody either (not that they can't, it's just not that likely) so if you want more chicks, you may have to incubate some eggs yourself. If you don't want more chicks, just remove the eggs. It is completely normal for hens to lay in the same spot and is nothing to worry about. From the sounds of it, it doesn't seem like either of your hens are broody ATM so I'd just collect the eggs