How do I Move a Broody Hen w/Eggs?

[dirtbagchickens]

Recently we lost a broody leghorn that set up a large hidden nest outside. Now we are concerned for our broody speckle that has a nest outside the coop close to the leghorns old nest, but its a more protected spot. We still worry about bobcats and coyote. We want to move her into the coop, but worry she'll abandon the nest. What should we do? Move or not? If so, what is best way? The nest has many eggs we are not sure how many days gestation.

SO how'd it go ladynthstamp?? did you move them?

on Sunday I found a large clutch of 15+ eggs under the top half of a pet carrier we had laying in the open "free-range" zone adjacent to our fully enclosed aviary and coop. likely a range of gestation stages. our COOKU MARAN (SP?) was on them and supper spry about defending them.

The ravens got to the eggs though and were pestering the broody Maran. I moved her into the enclosed aviary last night with the eggs and the carrier top, but it did not take. she got spooked when I was trying to get the remaining 4 eggs under her. I moved her first and she was fine in the new spot till I returned with the eggs. then she got spooked and chased me around. when I finally got her again I think I had upset her too much and she just went into the coop for the night. This morning she kept tying to go back to the same spot where she had been out in the free range area and would not stay or show any interests in the remaining eggs I had moved with the carrier cover, even after I stuck her in there and "showed" them to her (LOL).

So I just moved the clutch (only 3 left) back to were she had been with the carrier cover and she found them quickly and resumed her broodiness. I covered the entrance to the carrier top with a crate so the Ravens would not get to her or the last eggs.

how long can she go in there with out water or food??
THe eggs were left unattended all night and got cold, (our low was in the high 50s +/-) how much of that can they endure and still be viable??

I think my technique was close but flawed enough to worry her. I may try again though, using a cardboard platform under the carrier top to just "scoop" 'em all up , so to speak.

cant believe the Ravens took a dozen eggs. I do not like them!!

 

[ladynthestamp]

Dirtbagchickens,
It did not go well. We left the speckle in the protected spot, but found it had been attacked in the night but survived. We put her leftover eggs that were not destroyedin our incubator. None of them hatched. They were bad eggs and ended up stinking horribly, and were seeping. Thats not good. We removed them so they did not explode.

I should've moved her but I couod not even get to her, we tried. I tbought for sure she'd be fine. I found out thst if you do move them yhey need yo be in a protected spot from the other hens. They will attack the newly hatched chicks.

Broody chickens will leave to eat and drink at least once a day. They only leave for a few minutes to eat, drink, and pooh, then back on the nest. We have left some water close by for broody hens too. Being that your hens eggs were not warm for the night, I'd guess that they will not hatch.

Sorry for the bad news.

 

[Coach C]

I have a broody cream legbar. She has been on her nest 6 days. I went to check the nest for other hens adding eggs tonight, and she is still very alert and protective even at night. I am about to build her a spot where the other hens and rooster can't get to her. However, I am really worried about moving her. I don't want her to abandon the eggs. I would leave her and keep a watch on the chicks, but I am scheduled to leave town THE DAY she is scheduled to start hatching! I just don't want my grandfather, our pet sitter, to have to worry with them.

I have seen both ways suggested here about moving her. Should I just go in protected from pecks at night and get her moved? Is it too early or too late to move her?

 

[JayJo]

I have a broody cream legbar. She has been on her nest 6 days. I went to check the nest for other hens adding eggs tonight, and she is still very alert and protective even at night. I am about to build her a spot where the other hens and rooster can't get to her. However, I am really worried about moving her. I don't want her to abandon the eggs. I would leave her and keep a watch on the chicks, but I am scheduled to leave town THE DAY she is scheduled to start hatching! I just don't want my grandfather, our pet sitter, to have to worry with them.

I have seen both ways suggested here about moving her. Should I just go in protected from pecks at night and get her moved? Is it too early or too late to move her?

I was in this exact situation a couple of weeks ago.

I built her a ground-level enclosed pen with a little wooden house inside it. I moved her in the late evening when she was sleepy. At that point she'd been sitting on the eggs a few weeks. In my case, she had been disturbed from her nest by another hen trying to lay eggs and was back sitting in the wrong one, so I just moved the eggs and then her. She settled in right away and didn't try to get out of the pen at all (nor could she have anyway.) I had starter crumble, nipple waterers at her height and chick height, and grit in the kennel. Everything she and the chicks would need.

I was camping when the eggs hatched. Which was fine - there's a period of a few days when you shouldn't move or bother them at all anyway. They were fine because they had everything they needed. When I got back, she was out scratching around in the pen with her chicks and they were all doing fine. I cleared out the shells and unhatched eggs and watched them for a day. I decided they were all fine and opened up the pen, and mama and chick integrated well with the rest of the flock. At that point the chicks were probably 4 days old. So at this point they're all integrated and free ranging my yard with everyone else. Mama and babies are doing great.

I'm leaving again for vacation today, will be gone for a month, and have no concerns. They still sleep in the little house I built them, and they can escape into there with mama guarding the door if need be. But they're holding their own, and mama is raising them better than I could. The petsitter will stop by a couple times a week to top off their water and food and make sure all the poop is incorporated into the DLM. My neighbor is stopping by every day to collect eggs. They have free range of my yard during the day, and get closed in at night by an automatic (ADOR) door.

Just sharing all of this because I was really worried, and now, a couple of days post-hatch, all of my worries have been put to rest. Everybody's doing just fine. Hope it helps.

Here's a picture of the pen I built.

 

[Coach C]

I was in this exact situation a couple of weeks ago. I built her a ground-level enclosed pen with a little wooden house inside it. I moved her in the late evening when she was sleepy. At that point she'd been sitting on the eggs a few weeks. In my case, she had been disturbed from her nest by another hen trying to lay eggs and was back sitting in the wrong one, so I just moved the eggs and then her. She settled in right away and didn't try to get out of the pen at all (nor could she have anyway.) I had starter crumble, nipple waterers at her height and chick height, and grit in the kennel. Everything she and the chicks would need. I was camping when the eggs hatched. Which was fine - there's a period of a few days when you shouldn't move or bother them at all anyway. They were fine because they had everything they needed. When I got back, she was out scratching around in the pen with her chicks and they were all doing fine. I cleared out the shells and unhatched eggs and watched them for a day. I decided they were all fine and opened up the pen, and mama and chick integrated well with the rest of the flock. At that point the chicks were probably 4 days old. So at this point they're all integrated and free ranging my yard with everyone else. Mama and babies are doing great. I'm leaving again for vacation today, will be gone for a month, and have no concerns. They still sleep in the little house I built them, and they can escape into there with mama guarding the door if need be. But they're holding their own, and mama is raising them better than I could. The petsitter will stop by a couple times a week to top off their water and food and make sure all the poop is incorporated into the DLM. My neighbor is stopping by every day to collect eggs. They have free range of my yard during the day, and get closed in at night by an automatic (ADOR) door. Just sharing all of this because I was really worried, and now, a couple of days post-hatch, all of my worries have been put to rest. Everybody's doing just fine. Hope it helps. Here's a picture of the pen I built.

JayJo, you are a genius! I was up all night thinking how to build a safe, effective, still close to be included sight and smell wise, place for her and be babies! Thank you so much! I am closing in the bottom under my coop, 4x8 and about 3.5 tall area. Should be perfect!

 

[JayJo]

I hear you - that design is the result of a lot of sleepless nights on my part! Glad you can use it too!

That's about what size mine is too. We added a 2x4 running along the floor and screwed it into either side of the coop. There are three panels made out of 2x4 squares with hardware cloth screwed into them. The panels attach to the bottom 2x 4 and the side of the coop with a few screws so they are stable but can be easily removed and reverted back once the broody hatch is done. The third middle panel wasn't attached yet in this photo, but it sets in place and then is held in place by slats of wood with one screw in the middle that rotate to hold it in place. Hope that makes sense. Good luck building and good luck with your hatch!

 

[Coach C]

I hear you - that design is the result of a lot of sleepless nights on my part! Glad you can use it too!

That's about what size mine is too. We added a 2x4 running along the floor and screwed it into either side of the coop. There are three panels made out of 2x4 squares with hardware cloth screwed into them. The panels attach to the bottom 2x 4 and the side of the coop with a few screws so they are stable but can be easily removed and reverted back once the broody hatch is done. The third middle panel wasn't attached yet in this photo, but it sets in place and then is held in place by slats of wood with one screw in the middle that rotate to hold it in place. Hope that makes sense. Good luck building and good luck with your hatch!

Sounds almost exactly how we had designed and planned to build ours! Thanks again!

 

[silkiefrizzles]

I think you should move her at night, but when I had two broodies, I bought five eggs and when they hatched they all went under one mama so I moved her and her two chicks in the daylight and she diden't abandon them, so maybe wait until the day they hatch so she wont abandon.
(although mine was a silkie, I don't think she would have abandoned them anyway)
be carefull!

 

[Bukbuk Betty]

Lots of good ideas in here on this subject! I have a broody sitting on 9 eggs, now 10 days. She's in a nest box 3' off the ground, so I know I need to move her. It's "my" first hatch! Thanks for all the tips in here y'all

 

[ericadenise]

I have tried twice to move my hen and her eggs but she end right back to her original nesting spot. Today one of the chicks made her first pip! There are 3 eggs total but one may not have developed.

Anyways, my idea today was to take an old plastic tote I made into a brooder for chicks from the feed store. I cut a large rectangle from the lid and stapled chicken wire underneath so it's open on top but inaccessible. Once the lid is on, it's a great little brooder and now, a nesting box that sits in the same spot that my hen went broody. I put her in there with the eggs and she nuzzled then under her, good sign I think! I placed a shallow water dish in there with her too.

Hopefully I will have some babies tomorrow running around in there!