Black Star hen gone broody in Camas, WA

[The Sheriff]

Quote:
Men!

 

[Nathan]

Quote:
Men!

That's it! I need to send my wife out to move chickens after dark. I'll tell her it was your idea.

 

[Nathan]

After escaping the abduction attempt by hiring a decoy jailbird Monday night, Broody made the mistake of thinking the danger had passed.

I successfully abducted her last night and put her into into the new nest box and enclosure while she was half asleep.

This morning, though, she was soaking wet, which means she wasn't staying in the nest box with the two golf balls and an egg.

I put her back in, and we'll see if she decides to set on the eggs while she is huddling there from the pouring rain.

 

[Nathan]

Well, she's not staying on the nest post move.

I think I will leave her in the chain link jail until she either sets or lays an egg.

 

[foxychick]

Hi! I'm a newbie. I have 7 hens-together since 4 wks old. One of them went broody about 2 wks ago. I obtained a "cage" appropriate for her and set up a nest with eggs for her to hatch. However, all she wants to do since I placed her in there late yesterday is get back with the other 6 of her flock. I put her in there, just to see what she would do and she just ran to greet the other six, then promptly went to her favorite "spot" and sat there again until dark. I then picked her up and placed her in her new "home " with the new nest. Quiet all night, then this morning, she wants to get back with her flock again. She's definitely broody. Question: should I just place the eggs in her favorite spot and see how things go. My research so far states that I should separate her from the others for safety reasons. Can anybody help me??? Thanks everybody!!!

 

[Nathan]

All I've read so far indicates separating.

Leaving her in her favorite spot is not practical because other hens will keep laying eggs there, and she can't protect the chicks as well. Perhaps that's the same for you.

Her favorite spot is in an astroturf sloped nestbox. Doesn't seem like it would be all that comfortable to me, but she is a chicken.

 

[Nathan]

Well, Broody has managed to rejoin the flock after escaping from her jail (it's only four feet high), and got back in with the help of a neighbor.

I'm not sure I can move her and get her to brood anywhere else.

Any more suggestions?

 

[savingdogs]

It did not work out for me to leave my broody hen in the same place as normal. She eventually got up and another chicken came and layed an egg in the nest. Luckily I saw it happen and took out the cleanest one that was the correct color for the hen.
But it happened several more times. Finally another hen went broody and tried sitting on the same eggs! Only she was only broody for a couple of days. So she pushed the first one off the nest a few times (even though I gave her her own nest of golf balls) until the original broody hen gave up.
So my half-incubated eggs did not develop. They were interesting to check out, though!

I was also worried about what the other chickens would do if they saw the chicks and how I would transfer them out of there in the nick of time.

I hope someone with success at this chimes in!

 

[Nathan]

I think/know that all those things will happen if we leave Broody in her original spot. The other hens are laying eggs there now, and they don't have to wait for her to leave the nest. They just lay the eggs, they roll under her, and she commences guarding them all. We pull up to five eggs a day from under her. Of course, there is another nest box, but they only use one.

 

[Nathan]

I found pictures on this message board of broodies in baby goat carriers - I mean large dog crates.

So I put Broody in one tonight with plenty of straw, two golf balls and an egg. It will at least keep her in there.