Broody hen help!

[Kraemer7]

Hi! I have a broody hen that we really want to hatch eggs. She’s been sitting on and off since Monday/Tuesday, but seems to have committed fully yesterday. Last night I tried to move her and her wooden eggs to a crate on the floor of the coop. However she immediately went back to her box. When I closed the crate door she seemed agitated so I let her out. What should I do next? I can put the crate in the barn hallway, so she won’t be able to “see” her box but will still be around the other hens. Or I can just add the hatching eggs to the box but I’m nervous about the chicks falling out.
This is our first time hatching with a broody. Should I let her stay? Should I push her to move by trapping her in the dog crate (with food and water)? Thanks!

 

[DobieLover]

Hi! I have a broody hen that we really want to hatch eggs. She’s been sitting on and off since Monday/Tuesday, but seems to have committed fully yesterday. Last night I tried to move her and her wooden eggs to a crate on the floor of the coop. However she immediately went back to her box. When I closed the crate door she seemed agitated so I let her out. What should I do next? I can put the crate in the barn hallway, so she won’t be able to “see” her box but will still be around the other hens. Or I can just add the hatching eggs to the box but I’m nervous about the chicks falling out.
This is our first time hatching with a broody. Should I let her stay? Should I push her to move by trapping her in the dog crate (with food and water)? Thanks!

Broody's attach to the nest site more than the eggs.
I would tuck her crate into a corner of the coop and cover it with cardboard to make it a little more cozy, dark and private and shield her somewhat from the rest of the flock. Block off the top of the crate so no one can jump up on it. That would annoy anyone trying to hatch eggs.
She is not yet really committed but close. You need to keep working with her. I'd set up that more private crate with a few wood eggs and lock her in there. Give her a day to settle. She doesn't need food in there but I would hang a baby bottle for her.

Can you post pictures of your nest boxes where she has gone broody? If there is any way to make them less appealing, that will help encourage her to seek out the more private nest site you want her to take.

I did write an article describing how I manage broodies that I've grafted to the new site. You may find some useful information there.​

 

[-Isla June-]

Here are amazing mentions that for sure can help you:
@Kiki @nuthatched @Eggcessive

 

[nuthatched]

Thanks for the tag.
How big is her next box and can she be given some privacy? The other hens might try to fight her for the nest box and hurt the eggs.

 

[Kraemer7]

Broody's attach to the nest site more than the nest.
I would tuck her crate into a corner of the coop and cover it with cardboard to make it a little more cozy, dark and private and shield her somewhat from the rest of the flock. Block off the top of the crate so no one can jump up on it. That would annoy anyone trying to hatch eggs.
She is not yet really committed but close. You need to keep working with her. I'd set up that more private crate with a few wood eggs and lock her in there. Give her a day to settle. She doesn't need food in there but I would hang a baby bottle for her.

View attachment 3065202View attachment 3065205​

Can you post pictures of your nest boxes where she has gone broody? If there is any way to make them less appealing, that will help encourage her to seek out the more private nest site you want her to take.

I did write an article describing how I manage broodies that I've grafted to the new site. You may find some useful information there.​

Here’s a photo of her box- she jumped out right before I took this photo. Hers is the bottom row, second from the left. We have plenty of boxes for our 11 hens and 3 ducks (the hens love the duck nest boxes best!) usually she was the only one who used her particular box, so it’s less of a concern that someone else will take her spot. Mostly that it’s 2 feet or more from the ground if chicks hatched there.
Should I lock her in the crate? I can make it more private by putting some cardboard on top. I also have an area in the “run” (which is really a hallway of the barn) that is private but she won’t be in the same coop at night.

 

[Kraemer7]

Thanks for the tag.
How big is her next box and can she be given some privacy? The other hens might try to fight her for the nest box and hurt the eggs.

The box is small. She looks very cramped inside. I don’t think the other hens will fight her for the box- we have more than enough others and she is usually the only one who uses this particular one.

 

[Kraemer7]

Here’s a photo of her box- she jumped out right before I took this photo. Hers is the bottom row, second from the left. We have plenty of boxes for our 11 hens and 3 ducks (the hens love the duck nest boxes best!) usually she was the only one who used her particular box, so it’s less of a concern that someone else will take her spot. Mostly that it’s 2 feet or more from the ground if chicks hatched there.
Should I lock her in the crate? I can make it more private by putting some cardboard on top. I also have an area in the “run” (which is really a hallway of the barn) that is private but she won’t be in the same coop at night.

Here she is inside:

 

[DobieLover]

Should I lock her in the crate? I can make it more private by putting some cardboard on top.

Cover the crate top and the side closest to the nest boxes.
I would lock her in there for the day and night and see if she settles down. Just give her some time. Let her out in the morning so she can take care of her bodily functions but stick around to watch her return because she will undoubtedly head right back up to her nest box. You will want to block her way and try to guide her into the crate then close the door again. You can let her out again a bit before roost time so she can again get something to eat and drink. The again, guide her in. Don't physically put her in the crate on the nest. Put her in front of the door and block her from getting out if possible. Let her look at the nest and at least think about going in on her own.
Once they are really really broody, they should graft to the new nest site if it's semi-private.
Again, give my article a read. I will answer lots of questions without me having to re-type the same information I'll give you here.

 

[Kraemer7]

Cover the crate top and the side closest to the nest boxes.
I would lock her in there for the day and night and see if she settles down. Just give her some time. Let her out in the morning so she can take care of her bodily functions but stick around to watch her return because she will undoubtedly head right back up to her nest box. You will want to block her way and try to guide her into the crate then close the door again. You can let her out again a bit before roost time so she can again get something to eat and drink. The again, guide her in. Don't physically put her in the crate on the nest. Put her in front of the door and block her from getting out if possible. Let her look at the nest and at least think about going in on her own.
Once they are really really broody, they should graft to the new nest site if it's semi-private.
Again, give my article a read. I will answer lots of questions without me having to re-type the same information I'll give you here.

Will do! Thanks so much.

 

[Cinnamon Roll]

You can let her incubate her eggs in the high nest. I do that for my hens. When it’s 2 or 3 days before hatch I move her and her nest and eggs to the floor so she can have a safe place for them to hatch. If they are in “lockdown” she won’t move from her eggs even if they are moved to a new location.