1st time with a broody hen

animal boy

In the Brooder
7 Years
Oct 9, 2012
46
1
34
My 1st chicken to go broody is black cochin bantam that has been siting on some eggs for the past few days now and will only leave the coop in the morning for a few mins. I have a rooster (he and her get along great) and two other hens besides her so I know the eggs are fertile. I not sure what to do with her though becasue
1. I have only 1 nest box (the one she is in)
2. I don't want to move her nest into say a smaller coop and then have her give up on the nest
3. She is lower in the pecking order and might get bullied by the other two hens
4. I'm getting hit hard right due to hurricane Sandy so I can't do much outside right now
I would really like for her to hatch out the babies if possible. I'm trying not to disturb her that much only going near her to change her food and water. Should I try and move her into another area or just let her stay in the main coop? Also the nesting box is a plastic one that is screwed into the wall so I can't just pick up the box and move her to another coop.
 
Last edited:
If you are keeping her where she is for now, go ahead and mark an X on the eggs she is incubating since the other hens will still lay their eggs in her nest.
Remove all the new eggs each day and only allow her to incubate the eggs she is hatching.
When the weather clears up you can find another location for her when it gets closer to the time for the chicks to hatch.
The new location should be private and safe and on the floor so the chicks are able to get in/out of the nest.
You can even put the new nest inside a large dog crate or box along with food/water.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom