anyone ever successfully move a broody hen?

[NiteHawk]

We have a couple broody hens that set in the nest boxes where the eggs are laid, and often other chickens pile into the same nest box and lay their eggs squishing the "broody's," and breaking eggs. I have endeavored to move the "broodys" twice now, but the "broodys" get mad and unhappy and won't set on the fake egg that I have placed in their quiet new home, and cluck and carry on, and if given a chance escape back to the row of nest boxes and the chaos that goes on there..


It simply will not work for them to set in the main nest boxes, as a more dominate hen comes along and pushes them completely out of the box they are setting in, and the "broody" then move to another nest with other eggs that have not been yet collected.

Anyone have good idea on how to move the "broody" and make her happy so she will set in the new location? They are definitely broody, and need moved for them to be successful..

Any ideas?

thanks

 

[MROO]

Lock 'em up!
I have a broody Nankin that decided to set on a roosting shelf - four feet off the ground! Fine for setting, but not gonna work once chicks start hatching!

I set up a large, wire dog kennel on the coop floor, added a nest box and feeder/waterers and moved her into it just before the flock came back in to roost. It's been about a week, and so far, so good. She is still in familiar territory, has everything she needs and the other hens (and roosters) can't get to her. If all goes well. we'll have chicks this weekend!

It sounds like your hen doesn't have her eggs yet (hard to do if everyone else keeps smashing them!) so you may want to gather a few from the others and set them up in a separate nesting area, like a kennel or crate. If you want her to set her own, just mark the "borrowed" eggs and remove them, later - or use the fake egg and she may well lay her own with it. Either way, it sounds like she needs separate digs, too, if she's going to keep the other girls from "helping out" so much!

Good Luck! And keep us posted on Chick Watch!

 

[coach723]

Agree with @MROO. I always move mine. Either a wire crate, or I temporarily close off part of my enclosed run so she has her own private area, I just use a temporary wire fence. If you give her a nesting area that is sufficiently private, similar to your nest boxes, she will settle down. Everyone is happier this way, she feels safe but not ostracized and she's not terrorizing the other hens.

 

[ChirpyChicks1]

I have a small flock and watched my broody hen carefully but she was able to stay in the coop. When she started hatching I placed her in a chicken playpen I had built in the coop. The next day I moved her and chicks to my rabbit hutch to allow me to clean the coop. I’m going to leave her there this week while I figure out how to get all my cages to fit in my blasted coop


1) can the nesting box she’s chosen be moved with her?
2) do you have the room in the coop to separate her while allowing her to remain in her familiar setting

 

[KittyCat13]

I had a broody who was being a nightmare to move (I tried 3 times and she wouldn't settle in the crate, just desperately wanted to get back to her nest box.

I always move at night, but someone on her recommended putting a blanket over the crate as well. So I moved her at night into the crate with the blanket on, left the blanket on all the next day and night then removed it the next morning and it worked!

 

[Birds of a Feather]

It depends on the hen. Some will be all right with being moved, and others will not. I try to move as much of the original nest as possible with her to the new location so she doesn't get upset.

 

[Farmer Doc]

We move our broody hens to the spring/summer raising coop whenever we want another batch raised. We move them just after sundown and have no issues when the nesting boxes are the same level. We have an "add-on" I built that is Lower and that one sometimes causes a small problem. With that said, we have success with that too. It isn't late, dark, and the coop is locked up. They may complain but they all adjusted...so far.

Note: the two coops are attached by a single run that is divided during the summer but open during the winter if separation is not needed.

 

[NiteHawk]

I tried putting a dog kennel that had been "cut in half" on the floor of the coop, and that didn't work for either of the hens. I took them out and put them both in a cage in the foyer of the chicken coop, which is quite dark, and that was several days ago and they still have not settled down. they have a few fake eggs, and they are not paying any attention to them either, pacing and clucking and wanting out to go back to "their nest box".
They are definitely broody, they just want their old nest box back and I know it wont work..
I am considering possibly cutting off a corner of coop with a piece of plywood in the corner of the coop and seeing if that will work..

 

[ChirpyChicks1]

If the cage is on the ground or sitting On something they won’t get enough air on their belly. Try hanging the cage or somehow positioning it straddling two objects to allow cool air to get underneath them.