1st time hatching

[revmichael]

Hello everyone.....

I recently moved to Costa Rica....a neighbor brought over a rooster and said we needed a mascott.

The following day he brought over a hen, said he needed a companion and that she will give us eggs. I raised 4 barred rocks back in the states but i didn't tell him that. He was so excited to give them to us. He even managed to get our neighbor to give us some feed.

Well i didn't think she was old enough to lay eggs yet, no comb.....

Since i have a 9 foot high fenced yard i put them in a dog crate until i could build a coop. They totally free range and decided they liked the tree better.

Anyway......a few eeeks go by and i noticed she vanished.....ohoh....she got out or something got her. NO!

I looked in the bushes and guess what i found?

13 eggs!!!!

Well we wanted some others anyway so i decided to let her lay on them and see what we get. He has been mounting her since day one the poor thing.

My question is do i move her and the eggs into the nest box of the coop now while shes sitting on them, or do i wait until they hatch?

She is fine where she is it seems, even in the heavy rain we get.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

I don't know what kinds of predators you have in CR, but I'd imagine you've got them. I'd move her, eggs, nesting material and all to a more secure place. Do the move at night, when its good and dark. Hopefully when she wakes up the morning after she'll stick to her new nest and wont try to go back to her old one.

Good luck!

 

[revmichael]

So it will be ok to move the eggs and her? Do i let her roam if she wants or should i leave her in for a few days so she knows thats home?

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Unfortunately, thats a question that will only be answered when you move her. Some hens take the move without any protest. Others pitch a fit, beat themselves about the cage, scatter and/or stomp and break eggs. If you have a large dog crate or storage container, thats where I'd put her. Keep her contained so she can't leave the nest, but provide enough space to accommodate a tantrum (if it happens). Once she's settled, after a couple of days, allow her access to go outside so she isn't pooping in her box (and you'll likely have to spot clean some broody poops while she's contained, not a fun task).
Most of my hens don't mind me moving them or checking under them for eggs added by other hens. But, a couple of them don't appreciate any of my intrusions. Some bite, some just take off because they're flighty and know I'm about to do something near them. I've had hens that have flat out refused to be moved and would only sit in the spot they chose. In those cases, I place a cage over their nest, wherever it may be. I use feed sacks to cover the top and sides to keep them out of the weather and cross my fingers that nothing can reach in and grab her. I open the door to the cage every morning and close it every night, so she has the option to poop outside and has access to feed and water.

Anyway, hopefully she'll be good about being moved, but do have a back up plan in place in case she doesn't take kindly to it.