Broody Chicken

[RachelandJeffrey]

My hen became broody a few days ago. But now every time we check she's gained another egg. She keeps stealing them from other chickens or they lay it next to her in the same box. Should we move her?

 

[Idaho Chicken Bungalow]

Following! I have three doing it. I keep gathering the eggs because they aren't fertile.

 

[Ridgerunner]

My hen became broody a few days ago. But now every time we check she's gained another egg. She keeps stealing them from other chickens or they lay it next to her in the same box. Should we move her?

Do you want her to hatch eggs? If yes, then you have two basic options.

One is to let her hatch with the flock. If you do that you need to collect all the eggs you want her to hatch, mark them, and start them all at the same time. I use a black Sharpie to mark the eggs so the marks are easy to see. Then every day after the other hens have laid, I check under her and remove any that do not belong. As long as you collect them daily you can still use them.

If you want to isolate her from the flock you need a pen that will hold a nest plus feed and water. You do not want a lot of extra room. Lock her in there until the eggs hatch. You do not want her getting out or other hens getting in. If you don't isolate her why move her to start with? There is a good chance she won't stay anyway unless you lock her in there.

You still need to collect all the eggs you want her to hatch and start them at the same time. Toss the old eggs or cook them up and feed them to your chickens or dogs. If the eggs are not started at the same time you get a staggered hatch. The first eggs started will hatch first and the hen has to decide whether to take the chicks off of the nest to get them food and water and let the later eggs die or stay with the eggs and let the chicks that have already hatched die. They almost always abandon the nest and choose the first chicks to hatch.