Broody Hen Questions.

[Framac]

I have a hen that went broody on me a week ago. I jkept taking her eggs, but she never broke. My wife and I decided to let he try and hatch some out so I took a small section of my coop, made a area for her, moved her with food water and nest, and the bloody thing will not sit on the nest. It has been about 12 hours now, the eggs are cold.

Is there any way to get her back in the broody mindset? Put her and eggs in a pet carrier? Would the eggs still be viable?

If she will not sit on the nest, what are the chances she will return to her broody state once I put her back with the main flock?

Any help and insight is welcome.

Regards,

Chris

 

[bikerchic]

My broody didn't want to be moved. I tried to put her in a pet taxi because she was sitting on the floor of the coop. She refused. I also put a box in the area of the floor, so she moved to a nextbox and has remained broody there. She had tried to move her eggs to the nestbox but couldn't get them up there, so I placed them under her, and there she stayed. You might want to let her back into the coop and see if she starts sitting again.

 

[AK Michelle]

I had moved my confirmed broody to a more private space and now all she does is pace so on the advice of another BYCer I'm going to put her back in general population and if she goes broody again. If she does, I will leave her there and put eggs under her in her chosen location. Hopefully, once she establishes a claim to a clutch of eggs, I can move the whole box with her and the eggs closer to the floor. Then around hatch day maybe even add a little fence around it to keep the chicks safe from the other adults.

 

[BigBirdHatcher]

I have some game hens that hatch several clutches a year.
I tried to move one of them once and she wouldnt set on them so I leave here where ever she sets now and she does an amazing job, once hatching 18 of 19 eggs.
I had the problem of the other hens laying eggs on top of my broody hens. So what I did was let all the other chickens out of the coop as much as possible and shut the coop at night so the other chickens would roost out in the cage.

 

[AK Michelle]

And another question. If I let her hatch where she sits, it's about 3.5' off the ground. Will she keep the chicks from falling out?

Can I move her and her brood once they hatch? I would think moving her to a spot closer to the floor would be a good idea.

 

[Framac]

Thank you for the Question Michelle. That is why I moved her.

 

[henney penny]

I have a broody silkie that has been broody for two weeks now kept taking the eggs and putting outside where it was cold and nothing doing as soon as I would let her back in she was back in the empty nest.So I gave up and let her keep an egg that is not fertile and have some fertile ones comming tomorow.It will be very cold when they hatch but I trust her to keep them warm,and after they all hatch I will move her to a big cage with a heat lamp untill they are big enough to be in with the big girls.I has been amazingly warm here for northern Maine, in the 40`s today and last night.Should in the low 30`s for daytime and in the teens at night.

 

[Ole rooster]

I have just the opposite issue. I have a BO that has gone broody and picked one of the nest boxes. Now none of the other want to lay in the coop. Instead they are going to an old doghouse I was making into a brooding box in a pen. Now I have to figure out how I can stop this. I can't move the setter, and I don't want the others eggs all over the place. For some reason I don't think this is going to turn out good for me.

 

[Countrypunk92]

I usually let the broodies do their thing, I dont bug them, or move them unless its in a place where the babies or her would be not protected from predetors or crowding( and then breaking the eggs).
The hen knows what to do by instinct. Occasionly, yes, there is a "dumb" hen that moves hwr eggs all the time or goes broody outside. But other then that I would leave em be and let em do there thing. They wont eat that much as they go in a somwhat trance. I believe it is to digest food slower do ahe doesnt have to get up 24/7.

But thats my two cents.

 

[Jferlisi]

Quote:
Hi michelle. I would leave her till she hatches them then move them. I have a lakenvelder who went broodie and i moved her and she wouldn't sit. A week later she went broodie again and i left her in her box which was a foot of the floor and she hatched them in it and one fell out and was taken by something. I moved her that morning after all the eggs hatched and she stayed with them. I would let them hatch were they are then move her after, cause if they fall out the chicks cant get back in and will die.