Broody hen laying on her egg! what is my first step!!

[NorthernChick1]

Hey everyone!

My silkie hen is my first hen to go broody! i have a mixed flock and have a silkie roo who is lately getting it on with my other silkie hen and two ee's. now i spoted my silkie hen lay in a dirt pile the past couple days and i would pick up the eggs. last night she didnt want to go in the coop she layed in the dirt hole with no egg until i forced her to go in the coop. Again tonight in the poring rain she was laying there with a warm egg underneath her. Then i clued in!
Its been a little over a year since ive started raising chickens and its my first time dealing with a broody! now id like to leave her do her thing and see if she successfully hatches chicks but i dont know what to do!

1. I have two coops. a big one and a small portable one that can house up to three hens. I took the egg and herself and put her in there and made a little nest on the ground with the egg because she doesnt want to climb in the upper section. was i supposed to do that?

2. since ive put her in there the roo went crazy and is circling the coop. She has no interest in the egg sincd ive put her in there alone (about 30minutes now)

3. Do i let the roo and maybe the other silkie hen in with her?

I have attached a picture of the portable coop/run and another with what ive done with the egg. i dont want to leave her out in the open since theres manny predators around here. so id like to leave her in the small coop but the roo is freaking out and so is she.

Please help!!

 

[NorthernChick1]

 

[NorthernChick1]

could anyone help??

 

[NorthernChick1]

@aart

 

[New2Chicks97]

I don’t have much broody experience but I will tell you what happened with my broody.

She sat on eggs in the nesting box for 2 weeks. I decided to get her some chicks and ordered some from the local feed store.

In preparation I set up a small dog kennel pen & made a nest inside within the coop. I moved her and the eggs. She FREAKED out and refused to stay in the pen. I tried it 3 times. She then joined the rest of the flock and decided not to be broody anymore.

Obviously, I ended up with chicks in a brooder which was not part of my plan!

And guess what? 2 months later and she is back at it again. Since I don’t want to end up with chicks in a brooder again and I don’t need her taking up space in the nesting boxes, I just keep chucking her out of the boxes a few times a day.

You might try keeping your chickens in from free ranging and see if she settles down again to brood in a more appropriate comfortable spot.

In my case, trying to move my hen caused her enough anxiety that she decided it wasn’t worth it. She did not like to be separated from everyone else even within the same coop.

 

[aart]

Leave her where you want her to set, with some fake eggs in the nest.
If she's truly broody she will go to the nest and stay there, might take a day or so, definitely more than 30 minutes.
I suppose putting another bird in there might help her settle.

 

[Chickengene]

Try moving her and the eggs at night.
My chickens never seem to notice the change when I move them at night.
The very next evening they return to the location I put them.

 

[ocap]

can you put a cage over her in her favorite spot, she is in love with that "home"

 

[NorthernChick1]

Will she reject the eggs if i handle them? i shoved her in the small coop with the other silkie.

I cannot put a cage on top of her spot because it still wont be safe enough for her.

Should i put the roo in with her and the other? she panics and so does the roo when they are separated.

 

[aart]

Will she reject the eggs if i handle them?

No.

i shoved her in the small coop with the other silkie.

When?

Should i put the roo in with her and the other? she panics and so does the roo when they are separated.

Sure if that will calm her down.


Then give it time for them all to settle down and see if she goes back to setting.