[northfifeduckling]

It's been a week that hen nr 2 has been sitting on a marble egg - I put it in the box to encourage nr 3 to put her egg there but nr 3 put it under nr 1 broody hen, who is now sitting on 7 eggs. Will nr 2 get back to normal if I take the marble egg? I feel sorry for her not getting anything out of it ... 

[Fleecewife]

The egg laid in the others clutch will not hatch at the same time as the main lot of eggs, so why not swap that for the marble egg so that hen has at least something to hatch.  Alternatively give her a clutch of fertile eggs bought in.  I thought marble eggs were just to keep a hen broody while you send off for fertile ones.  If you take away the marble egg she will continue sitting on an empty nest, for a while anyway.  Just make sure she has plenty to eat so she doesn't lose condition and can then start laying again when she goes off being broody.

[northfifeduckling]

Trouble is that if she sits on fertile eggs now they will hatch when I'm away and I will have to move nr 1 into the eglu before I leave so they are safe. I found fake eggs a great help so they lay where I wanted them to until she sat on it! I've remove the new eggs once nr 1 had 7, she'll have plenty to so if they all hatch...