Broody chicken wants to nest outside

[Cazook]

I have a pullet who just went broody a few days ago when I noticed she was taking a long time to lay in her favourite spot (currently in and around the fallen branches of a tree). Problem is, she can't stay out there due to predators. I pick her up and her eggs to put them in the coop, she complains a lot about this. But then she ignores the eggs and goes to the perch. Same thing happens again tomorrow. Is she gonna snap out of broodiness or one day realise to sit in the nesting box? Lol

 

[Yardmom]

Could go either way. If you really want her to set, caging her with eggs may be the push she needs. Wait until she settles to give her the eggs you really want her to hatch.

 

[Cazook]

Sounds like an idea, I don't *really* need any more chickens right now but I suppose it's better off to hatch at least one brood a year.

 

[Mrs. K]

I have never had much luck moving a broody hen, mine have always gone back to where they wanted, not where I wanted. So you might have to at least keep her spot locked away.

 

[bobbi-j]

Was she actually broody when you moved the eggs? Sitting on them day and night? Or was she still laying, and that’s where she chooses to lay them?

 

[Cazook]

Well, the original hen that was broody seems to have lost interest in sitting on eggs, but strangely her mother is now sitting on the eggs i moved back into the coop. she hasn't budged for about 3 days now, and is all fluffed up. i brought food inside the coop for her since i haven't seen her come outside. i guess this is what people mean by saying that broodiness is 'contagious'? lol

 

[Cazook]

...I think the broody curse has spread to another hen, who didn't come back to the coop this morning. On checking, it seems she's been hiding her eggs (hers are white, so easy to identify)

Looked around for a long while but no sign. Also one of the brown one started making the broody clucking. Uh... Help guys, lol. I also moved the broody hen to get some food and she's sitting on like 16 eggs @_@ that is too many

 

[Cazook]

I found her this morning! I'm happy there's not a fox around or that something happened to her. After a lot of searching she was deep in this nest of vines that I had to cut to even pull her out. Sitting on about 12 eggs. I moved her and the eggs to the coop but now she seems uninterested in the eggs - I locked her in. But if she goes off broody that might be a good thing seeing as there's already one... is this going to spread to the whole flock?

Wish I had a separate run/coop for them now because the other chickens are getting annoyed at them occupying the nest boxes and she growls at anyone who comes in. Starting to think the incubator is an easier method if only I didn't have to brood them inside for 6 weeks!

Maybe swap em for fake eggs, incubate the eggs then put them back under when they hatch, lol. She went off them for about 30 mins today and they seemed cold in the nest. I dunno if she can keep that many warm. Not really expecting those breeds to have a good mothering instinct anyway, so maybe they are just trying it out.

...The other thing I realised though is that the chickens must be laying a LOT more eggs than I thought if 25 eggs could be hidden away without me noticing even. It seems like I'm getting double/triple the eggs that were being laid in winter. Eggpocalypse :l

 

[Cazook]

I managed to take a peek when she went outside for food this morning and she is sitting on 22 eggs... WTF

 

[bobbi-j]

I managed to take a peek when she went outside for food this morning and she is sitting on 22 eggs... WTF

How many did she start with, and did you mark them?