brooding hen question

[chickon]

Hi all,

I have done so much reading on the forums about hatching, my head is spinning! But I still have questions about my Wyandotte hen. Today is her fourth day sitting on eggs; she has been very consistent and I haven't seen her off the nest at all.

She is sitting in a nest that is by the front door of the coop though, and I think it disturbs her when the other hens are gathered there ready to go out in the morning. My question is, should I move her to a broody box we built specially, inside the coop?

And here's my hesitation: We had an Orpington that we thought was broody last month. But she would get off the nest to eat, someone else would go in there to lay, etc, it was a mess. So we put together this broody box and moved her to it in the night, but she was so mad! She wanted none of it. We let her out after a day and she hasn't been broody since. I'm afraid of breaking up the Wyandotte in the same way! What's the best thing to do?

Thanks!
Kate

 

[Mrs.Puff]

You have to move her eventually since the chicks won't be able to get out of the nest box and you don't want to have other hens getting in there. ( I have had the same trouble). To move her, try putting her in a box so small that she can't hardly move. She HAS to sit on the eggs. Don't let her out ALL DAY or longer, till she is really settled.

 

[chickon]

Thanks Mrs Puff! I like that your trouble is that everybody's broody--send some of that mojo to my Wyandotte lady!!

 

[Judy]

Read here about a successful method for moving a broody:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=162759

 

[chickon]

Oh, NICE! Thanks ddawn. I'm going to print that one out.

 

[chickon]

HOORAY! We moved the Wyandotte hen to the broody box last night, and put up extra boards and a blanket over it to make it very, very dark. She was mildly disturbed when we moved her but not agitated. And today she is still there sitting on her eggs! Hooray!! C'mon little chicken babies!!!

Thanks everyone for your help!