broody hen dilemma... keeps switching boxes

[jayde88]

Hello,
I love to let my broody hens hatch chicks, but I can only let the ones that are very smart or can't fly hatch them.
This is because all our nest boxes are in a line against the wall and look the same. When the broodies come back from their break, they can't remember what box they were in.
I've tried to move the broody and her eggs into a seperate area, but that never works because, even at night, the broody always realizes she is in a seperate area and freaks out so the eggs get cold.
Is there any way to help the hens remember her nest box?
Any help would be appreciated!

 

[lauralou]

I have the same problem. Here's how I have solved it.

I have a couple of little broody houses, sort of like doghouses. When I want to hatch eggs, I put the hen in one of those houses for a couple of days, until she reliably goes back and forth to that house. Then I give her the eggs to sit on.

If she doesn't seem to get it, and still wants to go back to her regular nest, I can actually lock her in the house for a couple of days. There is food and water in there, and room for her to move around.

It works for me...

 

[jayde88]

That is a very good idea, thank you!

 

[lauralou]

I thought of something else.

This isn't my idea, it's what my friend does. Her nestboxes are also lined up against the wall in the coop. They are about 18 inches off the floor. Maybe more like 24. I'm just guessing.

Anyway, she made a broody area under her nestboxes. She made a little frame with 2X4's, and used chicken wire to enclose it. Also a door, obviously. She keeps her broodies in there. It also keeps the babies nice and safe for their first few days.

Anybody else got any ideas? I know that this is a common problem.



Edited to say: I think that the key is to get them settled where you want them to be before you give them the eggs.

 

[stuckinthecity]

do your nest boxes sit on boards or are they nailed agianst the wall?

 

[dancingbear]

Quote:
I've had that happen with certain hens. The ones it happens with are really great moms, though, so I put up with them.

I don't know if this would work, hens may not be bright enough for this to matter, but they way you phrased the question gave me the idea.

How about putting something on the front edge, or back wall above the box, or where ever the hen would be sure to see it when she's returning to the nest, that might get her attention? Like a bright pink Christmas bow or something else bright and easy to see? Or add a distinct item to the nest itself, like a magenta plastic Easter egg among the real eggs? A day-glo golf ball or ping pong ball?

Like I said, I have no idea if that would help at all, and it might still take a few more times of moving her back to the correct nest a few more times.

 

[jayde88]

Lauraloo, that is also a very good idea. Our nest boxes are about 4 feet off the ground, but we could still build something underneath. I have a few broody houses, too, that I put the broody and her chicks in after they have hatched. I'm thinking about moving them into the coop to use for broodies.
Stuckinthecity, sort of a combonation. The nest boxed themselves are nailed against the wall, but they have a strip of wood for the hens to stand on attatched to the nest boxes that sist on boards.
Dancingbear, you know, that might work! Once I tried to draw little shapes, like a star, square, circle, and it didn't seem to do much, but they were very small and poorly drawn (I could barely tell them apart, lol). But something larger, colorful, and more obvious might work. I put cardboard with a banty-sized hole over a nest box once to keep other hens from laying in my broody banty's nest box and it seemed to help her distiguish her nest box

Something like you suggested would probably work!

 

[Tonyaadam]

I'm kinda having the Dame problem but my broody hen was in the Dame box for 4 days then yesterday when she got out to eat and drink one of my other hens got in her box to lay an egg so my broody hen got into a different box. I've never gone through this before and don't know what to do. Do I need to put her back into the other box???