Advice on my broody hen :)

[ann11e]

Hi all I have a broody hen that I thought was egg bound so I took her to vets to be told she's healthy she's just brooding! Ok so I came home and ordered 4 fertile eggs that she is now nesting on but the thing is she is with her sisters (different breeds) and They get worried when I try and split them up so I've left her nesting and the others sleep next to her at night and in the day go about their own business but the thing is I've never done this whole broody hen baby chicks things before can anyone advise me what to do when the eggs hatch into chicks as it's heart breaking seeing them stress out when I try and separate them from her what's your advice please thank you

 

[TwoCrows]

Welcome to BYC!

It is common for sisters to want to hang around the other hen that is broody. But many times they will eventually get bored after 3 weeks of waiting for their sister to come out of the box. I wouldn't let them in there with her as this can cause eggs to get jostled and broken. So if you have to, put up a separation divider to keep them out. I know the other hens may put up a fuss, but if you want your broody to hatch chicks, this would be the best thing if they are also trying to hang out in the box with the broody. You can also keep food and water nearby so the broody doesn't have as far to go to get nutrition and water.

Good luck with your broody and her eggs and I hope you get some spring chicks soon! Keep us posted!

 

[ann11e]

This would be ok I guess but she isn't in a neat box she's nesting just outside it I guess I could devide the coop so she's on her own to 1 side but would u say mesh would be a good idea so the others can still see her and what about her going toilet? Food and water is no problem putting near her as I brought chick crum and small food and water butts that I put in with her but as she has not moved will she poop on her eggs?

 

[ann11e]

Welcome to BYC!

It is common for sisters to want to hang around the other hen that is broody. But many times they will eventually get bored after 3 weeks of waiting for their sister to come out of the box. I wouldn't let them in there with her as this can cause eggs to get jostled and broken. So if you have to, put up a separation divider to keep them out. I know the other hens may put up a fuss, but if you want your broody to hatch chicks, this would be the best thing if they are also trying to hang out in the box with the broody. You can also keep food and water nearby so the broody doesn't have as far to go to get nutrition and water. 

Good luck with your broody and her eggs and I hope you get some spring chicks soon! Keep us posted!

This would be ok I guess but she isn't in a neat box she's nesting just outside it I guess I could devide the coop so she's on her own to 1 side but would u say mesh would be a good idea so the others can still see her and what about her going toilet? Food and water is no problem putting near her as I brought chick crum and small food and water butts that I put in with her but as she has not moved will she poop on her eggs?

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC. In my experience it is best to isolate a broody hen from flockmates which might unintentionally break her eggs. Move the feed away from the nest site and force her to leave the nest daily to eat or she might defecate upon and ruin the eggs.

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! Broodys usually only leave the nest once a day or so to eat, drink and poo, so you may very well never see her off the nest. If you block her off make sure you leave enough room for her to get out of the nest, you don't want food and water in the nest box with her, but close outside it. If you have something like a good sized wire dog crate you can put the broody in there with her nest in a cardboard box, and have the food and water at the other end.

 

[ann11e]

So how can I devide the coop as I don't have anywhere for her to be seperate from the others :s

 

[ann11e]

Would it be easy to put her back into the old coop and keep it close to the new one so they can still see her when she does come down for food? And when chicks are born they will get use to other hens around (providing they are hens) and at what age do chicks have to be before they can be around other hens I.e if I'm in garden with them will letting them roam with mum and others be ok?

 

[Kelsie2290]

If you can't divide the coop or use a crate so she stays where she is now, with moving her to a new place the main concern would be she may stop sitting and abandon the eggs.. not all broodys will let you move them... if you do move her do it at night and quietly and try to keep everything dark. You might try doing it in two steps, at night put her and the nest she made in a cardboard box (just use a box about half again + as big as she is, and cut a good sized entrance on one side) leave it for a day or two then move her and the nest inside the old coop/run, ... if you can get her there and happy it should be a good place for her and the chicks the first few days. With the chicks with a broody mama will usually keep the other hens at a distance, so you can introduce them pretty fast, I like to wait until the chicks are about a week old just to be sure everybody is healthy and moving around well.

 

[ann11e]

Thank you I think I will move her tomoz at night back into her old coop as she has only spent 2 nights in the new one and go from there and then do what u say when chicks are a week old introduce them at what age do u suggest to put them all back in 1 coop together? I'm new at the whole chick thing so I don't know I've had hens before when I was younger but mum says none of which went broody so we are both new to this I've had my girls a year now so I'm use to them and how they work but as they are my babies I wouldn't want them to fight