Broody hen question

[lilstar]

My 1yo ameraucana has gone broody. The eggs she's sitting on are not fertile. She made a nest out in the yard in a place that is very difficult to get her, and we physically can't reach to retrieve the eggs, much less replace them. Both my husband and I tried to get her and only succeeded in plucking a feather and getting violently pecked. I've created a separate broody pen for her, and am about to go pick up some hatching eggs to put in it so the poor hen doesn't just sit around wasting her time! I've read that its best to move them after dark, but since we can't even get to her, I don't think I'll have any choice except to catch her when she comes out to eat and put her in her pen then. She is easy to catch, so thats not a problem, but I'm just worried about how willingly she'll accept her new nest?

Also.. about that nest. My nesting boxes are "triplexes" so I can't just pick one up and put it into her broody pen without taking the boxes from the other hens. I have a cat carrier with the door removed. Is this okay?

 

[mstricer]

Is the spot you will be using enclosed? If so I would just give her a lot of straw in it. It is getting really hot and she won't be able to cool the eggs if she needs to, in the crate.

 

[lilstar]

It's enclosed on 4 sides. Approx 34"x40" plywood walls. Open on the bottom. The lid Is mostly chicken wire on a frame but one side has maybe 10 inches or so wide of solid plywood. Just putting down a bunch of straw would sure be convenient! The temps out here in Washington are mild. "hot" is 70. I suppose that could change over the next 3 weeks. I put it in a shady spot. Maybe I'll find something to make a partition with to give her a little extra security.

SUPER excited to see a bunch of fuzzbutts running around that I don't have to take care of myself