brooding hen

[luluspunky]

I have one hen that is brooding and I am getting fertilized eggs to put under her. Do I have to do some special with her nesting box?

 

[Pork Pie]

Not really, as long as it has some bedding, it should be fine - i tend to use sand as it retains heat quite well for setting. Might be an idea to mark the eggs, in case other girls decide they want to lay there too.

Good luck
CT

 

[Ridgerunner]

Are you isolating her or letting her hatch with the flock? Tell us a bit about your set-up, what the nest looks like, such as that.

The only specific thing I can think of with a broody hatching in a nest is that I want a decent sized nest. The first chicks that hatch often like to climb up on Mama’s back. If the nest is so small that Mama is sitting right next to the edge the chick might miss the nest and fall to the floor. I had that happen once when I let a hen hatch in a cat litter bucket that was 11-1/2” x 7-1/2”. That was just too small, I picked several chicks up and put them back in the nest with her. Then I retired that nest.