Broody Hen & Moving Brood Nest

[Maeschak]

Im not sure if I'm posting this in the correct place so please let me know if I need to move it.

Background: I have a broody hen that just won't quit. She was moving from nest box to nest box messing up my egg collection so I moved her to her own nest in a secure dog crate right outside of the coop loaded with 12 fresh eggs. The coop is a converted horse stall in a barn and the new broody nest/dog cage is right outside the stall (5 feet away). I wasn't sure if she would take to the new nesting circumstances but she took to sitting on those fresh eggs immediately. Her food and water are with her in the dog crate.

Question: I'd like to let her out of the dog crate so that she can poop (outside the cage) and dust bathe if need be. If I leave the dog crate/broody nest open for her to stretch her legs will she return to the new broody nest/crate outside the coop or will she try to set in the coop where the nest/egg boxes are? It has been about 2 days since she was moved to her own spot outside the coop. (I'd rather not put her dog crate into the coop bc the other chickens will roost on it pooping everywhere).

Thanks in advance-

 

[ChickenCanoe]

She should return but I would take a small piece of fencing about 15'-20' long and make a ring around the crate so she can't wander too far. After a couple days of that, you can probably remove the fencing ring.

 

[mixedbreeds]

It sounds like you are talking about my place I just did the exact same thing 21 days ago. I put a nest box in the dog crate with food and water she has been happy happy in there just scooped out the poo once in a while, today I see 4 dry chicks and one wet just hatched one I’m sure there will be more as she was sitting on 18 eggs. She is a black copper marans and it’s in a old horse stall turned into a coop the adults are outside the crate haven’t bothered her at all 4 other hens and a big Marans Roo.