Broody chicken - Need some advice...

[kittenchick]

I have a broody chicken - she has been sitting in the nest box since yesterday morning. I put some food and water next to her this morning. But if she hatches the eggs, I am worried about the other ladies and Hugh (my cockeral) hurting the chicks. Should I move her and the eggs indoors? If so, is this a hard process? She bit me when I put the water in next to her lol. This is the first time one of my girls have gone broody and I know this is the best place to ask for help and support. Many thanks in advance. Kim x

 

[damselfish]

I've seen divided opinions on this...some people separate a broody to keep the other chickens from laying additional eggs in the nest. But if you remove her completely, you then have to re-introduce them at some point. Is there anywhere you can put here that's visible to the others without them having easy access to the nest?

Hopefully others will chime in too.

 

[darkmatter]

The broody hen will protect her chicks, the rest of the flock had better watch out.

 

[tinychicky]

i usually put mine in a seperate cage, but inside the coop so they can still see one another. when it comes time to reintroduce the hen and her chicks, i let the main flock out with the hen and her chicks, let them peck around a bit and get acquainted with one another, then herd them al back to the coop. if that doesn't work the first time, try again the next day- it'll work eventually! i do this once the chicks are 6-8 weeks old- it even works to introduce new cockerals into the flock!

 

[cybercat]

I have a few broodies in nest boxes in coop. Since my rooster has bad leg and can not service them I bought more chicks. Pictures on their blog in my sig. I gave the chicks to my broodies and left them in the coop. Everything is fine. Chick feed and water is in their and you can see how mom is at feed dish taking care of them in the coop. My Rooster even hangs out in the poop door watching them. All the other hens are fine with the chicks they have been with mom now 3 days.

 

[Woods_Woman]

I'm going thru this with my first broody too, but I don't want to disturb her cause I'm afraid she'll abandon her eggs. I've also got another broody in the same nest box helping her with the egg's. Not quite sure what to do..??

 

[darkmatter]

Quote:
Don't do nutthin. The Broody hen will usaully take care of everything---I've had the Hens double-team a nest box several times, other then the occasional crushed chick or broken egg, it works out. I've had the double-team hens share the mothering of the same group of chicks---the chicks run back and forth from one hen to the other as they cluck to call them to feed. The only time I've helped is when the broody gets off the nest and not all the chicks follow her down, I'll lift the left behind chicks down to her and the other chicks.

 

[apdan]

I just had one hatch hers out and I have another one that just started setting this weekend... I move my chickens and let them hatch the chicks out in peace

BUT if you move them, move them at night, I have had the best luck with moving them then rather than during the day.
GOOD LUCK

it's so much fun to watch the process!!!

 

[pacetruckguy]

I have a broody hen also. My problem is, I have no rooster and the eggs aren't fertile. She doesn't eat and I have to reach under her to collect the eggs. Yesterday I picked her up out of the nest box and brought her around the coop and run and put her down with the food. She ate and then went right back in the coop to continue sitting in the nest box, eggs or not. I guess this will pass, I just hope she will be OK.

 

[Southernbelle]

I never put the food and water RIGHT next to the broody. Broody poop is one of the foulest stenches known to mankind and when she gets up off the nest to eat/drink, as she eats, she poops. If you put the food/water so close to the nest that she doesn't have to get up, where do you think she's going to poop?

That's not good for the eggs.

I usually move the broody to a safe place, like a dog crate. My nests are old cat litter buckets, so I go down at night and it's easy to pick up the broody nest and all and place her in the dog crate (or rabbit cage or brooder box) and give her food and water. I had one poor little Silkie hen who kept getting dragged off the nest by the bigger chickens so they could lay their eggs in her nest and her comb got all bloody from them. And the roosters keep trying to mate the broody hens because they don't run off and I'm afraid him standing on her would break her eggs.

I usually let the mama hen brood her chicks in the dog crate for the first 2 weeks, they're so vulnerable when the babies are little!