Broody Hen PROBLEM!

[CrazyChickMom]

I finally have a broody BO. Trouble is she is in a nesting box that is about 4-5 feet off the ground. This will pose a problem once/if the chicks do hatch.
Should I move her? And if yes, where and how? Will a cardboard box in the coop with some bedding work?

Do I need to be concerned with her eating and drinking?

I've never done this before so any advice will be helpful. The idea of moving "them" in the house isn't going to work for me.

Thanks!

 

[MIKE555444]

Moving her sometimes makes her stop being broody or if she is free to do so she may also return to the other nest later and leave the fertile eggs that you have placed under her. What I did was made a small divider in my coop and gave her a small area where she could come off the nest to eat and drink and no other hens could reach her nest to disturb her and she only had the one choice for a nest of eggs to return to.

I would suspect that the nest being 4 1/2 foot off the floor will not be a problem. Assuming that you have a 3" or so board along the front of the nest so they won't fall out really easy. Once the first egg hatches you will have a few days for them all to complete before the first chicks will need any water or food. They will not normally try to get out of the nest. When the hatch is complete you would want to move them to a small coop if possible.

Good Luck!

 

[Countrywife]

I would not leave a broody that high, just in case. Can you move her to an enclosure? The smaller the space, the more likely that she will stay on the eggs I think. I moved my last BO broody, it was her first hatch, and she did fine.