Broody hen in a raised coop?

[ajwhitti79]

I have a 2 year old buff orpington, Bubbles, that has gone broody. I am glad for this because with the price of chicken in my area, we plan on culling the oldest birds in our flock of 12 and these natural replacements will be perfect timing. But I have a problem. My 20-bird capacity coop is raised and the coop door is in the floor. It also only has 2 nesting boxes. I'm sure there are opinions on how many nests/hen, but all 11 hens use the same nest anyway. BUT now I have a problem because broody hen is in the favorite nest and I don't want a staggered hatch. I plan on marking the eggs this evening after dark. I have attached pictures of the coop. I need help in deciding what to do with Bubbles. Where in the world do I move her? Do I put a pet carrier in the underneath portion of the run? I have a wire dog crate but it is full of turkey poults at the moment. I also have a big box store 4-hen coop on the ground, but it has 3 week old ducklings brooding in it. I'm kind of overwhelmed with baby birds and no where to put them all. Thanks for any advice you could give.

 

[nuthatched]

Add more nest boxes and maybe give her her own space.

 

[3KillerBs]

Can you make her a maternity ward? That is, a little enclosure of her own so she's got privacy to focus on her job?

Here's a great article on broody management: https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...rst-turkey-strut-to-weaning-the-chicks.76878/

 

[ajwhitti79]

Can you make her a maternity ward? That is, a little enclosure of her own so she's got privacy to focus on her job?

Here's a great article on broody management: https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...rst-turkey-strut-to-weaning-the-chicks.76878/

thank you for the link. I'm not sure how I would make a separate area for her. I can't divide the coop because the nest box is at one end and the coop door is at the other. I'm also worried about how the chicks will get down if I leave her where she is. All I have left is a medium size dog carrier. I could put it under the coop But I would have to leave the top on to keep it weather proof. And that doesn't solve my problem of the other hens (and rooster bothering her). I don't know. I have never had a broody hen. My oldest chickens are 2 years old. I had given up on them going broody on their own... but here we are!

 

[3KillerBs]

Is your run secure?

If so, could you make something for her in the run?

I'm getting ready to set up my first broody and everything I've read about it agrees that letting broodies sit in the main nests is a recipe for trouble with broken or abandoned eggs, staggered hatches after other hens add more eggs to the nest, and other such problems.

 

[ajwhitti79]

Is your run secure?

If so, could you make something for her in the run?

I'm getting ready to set up my first broody and everything I've read about it agrees that letting broodies sit in the main nests is a recipe for trouble with broken or abandoned eggs, staggered hatches after other hens add more eggs to the nest, and other such problems.

I think I'm going to have to. I cant put anything in the outer run because it isn't covered. But it is very secure all the way around.

 

[ajwhitti79]

If I used a medium dog carrier (like the kind you take to the airport) and left the top on, would I need to close the door? I'm afraid the other chickens will take an interest in her new digs and drive her out.

 

[3KillerBs]

I think I'm going to have to. I cant put anything in the outer run because it isn't covered. But it is very secure all the way around.

You might make something like my integration pen: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/mini-coop-or-integration-pen-from-a-large-dog-crate.76593/

If I used a medium dog carrier (like the kind you take to the airport) and left the top on, would I need to close the door? I'm afraid the other chickens will take an interest in her new digs and drive her out.

I can't visualize what you're suggesting.

 

[NatJ]

If I used a medium dog carrier (like the kind you take to the airport) and left the top on, would I need to close the door? I'm afraid the other chickens will take an interest in her new digs and drive her out.

If you move the hen to a new nest, she will try to go back to the nest she chose.
You will have to shut her in the new place (dog carrier) if you want her to sit on a nest in there.

Some hens will accept being moved, and some will not.
She might break eggs while trying to get out.
So I would move her, and give her fake eggs until you see whether she accepts that new nest. Keep the real eggs safely in your house, not incubating, until you are ready to give them to her.

If she is willing to sit in the carrier, it would be good to let her out each day to stretch her legs, and you should put food & water inside with her in case she wants to eat when you are not there. But you should probably keep it shut most of the time, to keep her from changing nests and to keep the others from bothering her. After a few days, you could leave it open while you are available to watch, and see if it works. Based on what you see, you could keep leaving it open or keep it shut.

 

[Yardmom]

I keep my broodies in dog kennels. I close the doors so they can not go back to their original spot and so the other hens can not lay in their nest. I open the cages each morning. Some go out on their own, others need encourage ment to take a break. The first few days the hens go to their original nest when they are done with their break. I pick them and lock them back in the cage. After a few days they return to the cage on their own.