[wildwitchy]

My little black banty girl kept dissapearing the past week. I've filled what I thought was any gaps they could get through. She still was going awol. I thought perhaps she was flying over the fence??? 6 ft for a banty?? Nooo.

I saw her again today making broody noises around the feeder & I became worried she might have eggs hidden somewhere.

Had a good look about & she has been sitting on around 20 eggs under the pampass grass bush (I thought the girls we laying a few less but never thought no more!  ). Bless, I don't think she can cover that many.

I'll have to move her now to her own quarters so mr fox doesnt get her. That will upset her for a while.

[PaulineM]

Wow, what a nest!!!
Maybe you could try candling the eggs to see if any are viable, you could then try to reduce the numbers in order to give the viable ones the best chance.
Good luck 

[wildwitchy]

I made up the broody quarters for her. Got the eggs out. There were 22!! 

Out of all of them, there were only a few that had started to develop but they were stone cold. I left her in the broody quarters for a while but she has since made her way to rest of flock for evening sleep & wouldnt stay with the eggs. I think broody hen always knows best. Most of the eggs have turned out to be non fertile (she must have been laying them there before the boys arrived) & the fertile ones were no good (about 5 on cracking open the eggs).