[Womble]

Our first broody of the year has been in situ for two weeks now, and I've given her some Welsummer eggs to hatch. She's sitting very tight, and making all the right broody noises, although I noticed yesterday that she still has all her feathers where her brood patch should be.

The only trouble is that 'somebody' keeps sneaking into the nest box and adding more eggs. I know this is happening because they are a different colour. 

Prior to her sitting, Mrs Broody was the only hen laying in that particular nest box (OK, to tell the truth, she was the only one laying in ANY nest box!).  Could it really be her that's laying all the extra eggs?

[Sylvia]

I shouldn't think so but..... If someone else is laying there she will eventually have too many to cover which will compomise the Welsummers.

[Rich/Jan]

yes agree with sylvia - take the cuckoo! eggs out and save the welsummers otherwise she will try to hatch them all and not hatch any lol

[Mel]

I personally would not have a hen sitting in amongst other hens as once hatched the others may attack the chicks-from previous experience,last year I had four broodies in one coop separated from the main coop,I still had to section this coop of inside to stop the chicks going into next door as one of my hens,Mary attacked the chicks which were not hers.
 
 All ended well,just through trial and error it is always best to remove new eggs and is why I started separating broodies from the regular layers.If your hen is sitting are you misting the eggs?I always use a sod which is a cut out of turf to the size of the nest box and turned upside down,hollow it out slightly and put some bedding around and this stops the eggs drying out and makes for easier hatching for the chicks.
 
 This advice was given to me by local gamekeepers whom breed their game birds,I have never looked back and always have a 99.9% success rate.

[in the hills]

Some of my friesian fowl lay out and about and then decide to sit their eggs. I have noticed that they continue to lay for  a few days even though they are sitting on the eggs for most of the day and at night. In general though the answer is no .... once they are sitting they do not lay.

[chrismahon]

They lay a few after sitting and then stop. No good if the hatch is too spread out as once she has two day chicks demanding food and water she will abandon the rest.

Lewis Wright, in his 1867 book The Practical Poultry Keeper, advocated broodys sitting on soil, lightly hollowed so the eggs stay in the middle. Worth reading the chapter in the free download of the book from a Californian library that is available.

[daddymatty82]

i had about 6 eggs each off a  couple broodies 2 yrs bk could only tell due to them not being marked up  and the ones i had set were marked clearly

[Womble]

Well, I'm pretty sure this one has just laid her 5th egg, and still sitting tight. We'll just have to see if she keeps going!