Backlog on the nest

[new2green]

Hi all,
One of my wild chickens decided to brood in the ONE next everybody lays. This created a backlog in the coop. Nobody laiyed eggs yesterday. We have 8 nests, but ALL chickens only lay in this one nest that now is occupied. Is it ok to move the broody mom and eggs to the nursery? We have a smaller coop where the chickens with babies stay so the bigger guys don't bother them, there is one chicken there with 4 babies about 2 months old, but 4 nests for them to spread out.
Will broody chicken still lay if I move the eggs?
Will the other chicken upset her? I can move her and babies to the big coop, they are big enough, I think...
Thank you for any help. I started this new obsession in December, now I am hooked on my chicks, but have a lot to learn.

 

[Eepster]

It is okay to move the broody hen and eggs to your nursery. When I take my broody hens out of their boxes to collect the eggs, some of them will return to a different nest. The point is, I don't think the hen will care as long as she is sitting on something. You can keep the other mom in the nursery because the broody hen won't bother her. When her eggs hatch you ought to move the other mom and her chicks to the main coop. Anyway, a broody hen won't lay at all if she is broody. If you want her to lay again you have to put her somewhere where there are no eggs. Once she starts laying again she is no longer broody.

 

[new2green]

Thank you so much!! I will move her tomorrow. I was not able to get a picture, but there were chickens laying on top of her. They won't lay anywhere else, so I guess she is sitting on all the other chickens eggs!!??
That is so weird and funny.
I appreciate you taking the time to answer so quickly. Have a great evening!

 

[ChickDaze]

Quote: Get rid of the new eggs immediately! I have lots of experience with crushing half-formed chick eggs because mom abandoned the nest when I moved her. (horrible chickens. Never going broody with them again) Almost all the eggs were at different stages because the other chickens laid on top of them. Mark the ones she started with, move her soon, and throw out new eggs underneath her.

 

[new2green]

How do i know which ones are the new ones from other chickens? Won't she lay any more during her brooding time?

 

[Folly's place]

I date the eggs with indelible marker. Move the broody and any eggs you want hatched to a private space___ I use a big pet airline crate___ with her own food and water. I do it late at night, with a very small flashlight. The least amount of noise and light, and leave immediately. I set up the crate during the day, right in the coop, so she still can see everyone. Almost always works fine. If you leave things as they are, you'll have a mess. Mary

 

[new2green]

I just moved Reba to the nursery along with all 10 eggs. So far she is not a happy chicken, she did not sit on the eggs, she is just complaining her head off by the door

. Hopefully she will calm down and sit on them. Otherwise I guess I will have to feed the eggs to the dogs...

 

[Eepster]

If she won't sit on them, don't feed the eggs to any animal. They will get sick!

 

[new2green]

OMG!!! I only saw Overun's response after I moved her.
She didn't sit. The nursery has 5 nests and she was sleeping on the next nest. So in a desperate attempt to save the babies, I moved the eggs to her nest. I will check again tomorrow.
I should have waited longer for some advice!! I don't have lights to incubate them, and by tomorrow it will be a full day alone for the eggs, is it too late??
I feel so bad!!