Broody hen refuses to move

[mtngirl35]

Hi everybody. I have a hen gone broody. For the past 3 years another hen in the flock named Punkin has gone broody. I moved her to the maternity coop in the middle of the night each time with no problem whatsoever. This year she didn't go broody but another one did. Her name is Little. I followed the same routine. Got the maternity coop ready and moved Little about 2 hours after dark. Here's where the problem started. Little refuses to be resettled. I placed her on her eggs and she immediately jumped off and ran clucking around the coop. I placed her back on the eggs and held her and rubbed her until she calmed down and left for an half hour. I went back to check on her and she had moved off the nest. I put her back on the nest and she started running around clucking again. I finally put the eggs back in the original nest in the community coop and carried her back. As soon as I sat her down on her old nest she settled right down like nothing ever happened. So what do I do now? I really want new chicks for my flock. My chickens free range during the day and go into the covered run and coop at night. They have been laying in my wheelbarrow since Little took over their favorite box. The only idea I have right now is to block off the coop and let her hatch her eggs and just let the others roost in the run. They sleep in the run sometimes in warm weather anyway. Anybody have any advice? I have never dealt with such an uncooperative broody!

 

[TheKindaFarmGal]

I don't move my hens from the flock when they go broody. Mark the eggs you want to hatch and put them under her in the main coop. If you don't feel comfortable with letting the hen and chicks be with the flock when they hatch, then I guess you could move them over to the maternity coop/run (if there is a run).

 

[Pork Pie]

As long as the other girls are laying elsewhere, and not forcing your broody off the nest, then leave her be. There's no need to block off the coop. Just my experience, but i let my broodies sit and hatch their chicks in the main coop, and they remain with the main flock. The main flock shows little interest in the chicks and they have the protection of their mother. By the time momma decides she no longer wants to look after the chicks, they are already fully integrated into the main flock.

CT

 

[mtngirl35]

I have my eggs marked. The others chickens are not bothering her right now. My maternity coop used to be a sectioned off area in the main run. My maternity coop is separate now with an 8x4 run. I wanted to move Little because Punkin seemed much calmer setting and dealing with her new chicks in a separate coop than she did when the others could nose around the divider I used in the main coop run. She was always on the defensive. And Little seems to be a more ill tempered broody than Punkin. I guess I will leave Little alone to hatch out and then move the new family. Thanks for the advice.

 

[TheKindaFarmGal]

Any time! Hope all goes well.