How do I Move a Broody Hen w/Eggs?

[ManawaGirl]

@suchcutenails - I have the same situation going on. I have a broody silkie who is due to hatch 4 this Sunday-ish (10-16-16). I had tried to get her to move when she's laid the first one in a hidden spot, but we'd been missing her for 7 days and found her sitting on 4. So now I have a safe quarantine around her. My thinking is to just let her hatch them, then I'll move mom and baby(ies) into the house in a gineau pig cage we've used for the same set up before. She might wind up in the house for a week or two until I know the chicks are going to make it. My dilemma is that I'm in Iowa and I'm super worried the baby silkies are going to be affected if the weather gets horrible quick.

 

[pammys chix]

I have a Rhode Island Red who decides to go broody on me 2 days ago not sure how many eggs she has in there but I have 7 other hens and I have only got 2 eggs in the last 2 days I normally would have 8 eggs a day should I move her and the eggs to another enclosure?

 

[Btarr4]

I have a broody Silkie who has decided to nest in the run. tried moving her in last night but she freaked and wouldnt stay on new nest in coop. this morning she ran back out to sit on empty nest. i feel bad but dont know what to do. im afraid to leave her in run all night. Any suggestions.

 

[jsnarron]

Ok so I have had chickens for years now and have incubated several dozen eggs. We have barred rocks so its not common for them to become broody. While on vacation last week she went broody and gathered 14 eggs and has been sitting somewhere around a week. I wan to move her to my dog kennel and I've read about moving them at night like many have mentioned here but I've also read on other sites about placing a milk crate over her and her eggs for a couple days after the move to ensure she sticks with her clutch. Anyone tried this or a similar method?

 

[ssgiovetti]

That won't work she will.just lead them back. I usually just leave mine in the coop. When they hatch I move mom and babies to a dog kennel in the coop, at night that way she has a quiet place to take care of them peacefully. She will take them back to the nesting.box once the kennel is removed, but by that time they can fly up to her. You will love watching her take care of them. I have been waiting all spring for my spitz.to go broody, she is clicking and puffing up like she wants to, but I guess there's to much free ranging to do.
Michele

How long do you keep them in the kennel? And do you keep it completely shut to keep your others out?

 

[SilkieLoverFarm]

I have a broody silkie on a clutch. The young roo kept trying to mate her in the coop while she's sitting. I saw him do it the other day.. and then saw it happen again. Another hen ( could be one of the moms, too) would sit on some of her eggs sometimes too, but not all the time, mostly at night. Some died because of this. So what I did is took some bendable green garden fencing/mesh and made her a space around her nesting area in the coop, so no one can touch her. I put food and water in her new little area. I candled all the eggs and had to toss some, sadly. She's now got 8 viable growing under her which is about perfect for a silkie to lay on. I'm thinking this setup might work good for integration too after the chicks hatch and grow out a little, since they can all still see eachother and will all be in "the" coop. But maybe I'll move them after hatch. Im going to just let her be for now and take it day by day. I think it's been stressful enough for her, being her first broody. She's about a week out from hatch, I think. If this works well though, it may be what I do here on out... she seems to be comfortable and doing well. It's only been up a few days now. I like it because I can easily modify, add and remove.