Broody barnevelder

[sjsunshine]

I have several breeds in my flock...golden sex linked, delewares, barnevelders, white leg horns, barred rock, rhode island reds, and one buckeye rooster. One of my barnevelders has gone broody, and I'd love to hatch some chicks.

Today we put 9 eggs under her and she's been on them all day. We noticed yesterday is when she really went broody. We're hoping to hatch some chicks instead of having to buy new ones!

My questions are:
1) Do I need to separate her from the flock (23 hens total, one rooster)?

2) I need to, at a minimum, move her to a bottom nest box so when the chicks hatch they can get in and out easily...she's in a top nest box now. When should I move her down?

3) Anything else I should be concerned with for the immediate future?

Thanks in advance!

 

[LRH97]

I would separate her. Moving her gets rid of the stress that the other hens may cause while she's on the nest. A lot of times, with my girls anyway, they harass a broody. Not to mention that moving her pretty much guarantees the safety of the chicks. You don't want any trampled or severely pecked chicks. If you do decide to move her, do it at night. This also minimizes stress. She may explore a bit, but when she sees the eggs, she'll probably sit back down after a bit. However, moving her when she's groggy is the best way to go.