Broodies moving around

[Uncle Vig]

I have 2 Australorps that seem to have gone broody. They started out in the second and third nesting boxes and then I found them in the third and forth boxes. Now it seems that every other day it's back and forth between the second and forth boxes. All three boxes have eggs. This has been going on for about 10 days now. Should I collect the eggs in either the second or fourth box to make them choose? The third box has always had one of the chickens in it, but being all black, I don't know if it's the same bird. I would like to have chicks, I have reciently lost several birds to preditors. I free range. What to do; help!

 

[igorsMistress]

Hi there. If the one girl keeps going back and firth between nest boxes then the eggs may not hatch because they're left to cool for too long. Likely someone else is forcing the hen out of the box to lay or someone else is in there when she comes back from her break and she sits on the other eggs.

You can try candling and putting any viable eggs in one box but that didn't work for me. I ended up incubating the eggs myself and sticking them under the broody just before hatch. She babysat some golf balls in the meantime

 

[Uncle Vig]

The third box always has a hen in it when I collect the eggs from the other 9 boxes. (I have 6 over 6 Boxes) Should I just take all the eggs from boxes 2 and 4 being that there have been gaps in seating periods? Think they would still be viable?

 

[aart]

The third box always has a hen in it when I collect the eggs from the other 9 boxes. (I have 6 over 6 Boxes) Should I just take all the eggs from boxes 2 and 4 being that there have been gaps in seating periods? Think they would still be viable?

Might try putting the real eggs in 2 of the nests.
Put one fake egg in the other nests so the laying birds will use them.
Are you sure you want them(one or both) to hatch out chicks?

I prefer to segregate broodies.
When I have a broody I wait until she's been in the nest most the day and all night for 2-3 days...along with those other signs I posted.

Then I put her in the broody enclosure with fake eggs in the floor nest, she won't like being moved, but if she is truly good and broody she will settle onto the new nest within a half a day.
Then I give her fresh fertile eggs and mark the calendar.

I like them separated by wire from the flock, it's just easier all around.
No having to mark eggs and remove any additions daily, no taking up a laying nest, no going back to the wrong nest after the daily constitutional.

I remove barrier about one week after hatch. The chicks are usually safe it's the broody who has to 'fight' her way back into the pecking order...which can be quick or take a few days.
Lots of space helps for re-integration.