What do you get when you're lazy about egg collection for just one day? A broody hen, that's what.
According to Raising Chickens for Dummies by Willis and Ludlow, if a hen has around ten eggs in her nest she may start sitting in the nesting box all day, only leaving to eat and drink. All four of my layers insist on using the same box, so it doesn't take much forgetfulness to get a pile that large.
At first I thought one of my girls was sick, but she looks healthy enough, and will fluff up and look decidedly unhappy when I reach under her to collect the (nicely warmed) eggs. She is also making a new sound, a low cluck-cluck-cluck. And she stopped laying. Most interesting is that while my laying hens will crouch low to the ground in response to human touch (a friend told me this is mating behavior and she's "hoping you're a rooster"), I confirmed with this girl today that she has stopped doing this.
The bad news? Apparently there isn't much you can do except collect eggs promptly until she gives up. The good news is that this should happen in around 21 days, when a normal clutch would have hatched, and then she will start laying again.
According to Willis and Ludlow, the drive to brood is hormonal, and attempts to discourage nesting are ineffective and inhumane.
Grack. Teenagers!
