A lot depends on your set up, and the size of the nest she is sitting on, and the personality of the hen. I had Butter sitting on the nest last night, and I am praying, hoping and my fingers are crossed that she is on there this morning! I love hatching chicks with a broody hen. Once you go broody, you never go back to that brooder box.
I have moved mine, only to have them abandon my choice to go back to their choice. Ugh! My nests are pretty small, about 10-12 inches wide. My broody is aggressive, and I leave her in the midst of the flock. She is experienced, and takes care of all. Now she will not hatch 100%, more than likely, and sometimes in the first few days I loose a chick that fails to thrive. I can accept that.
Every couple of days, I take a towel down, carefully remove her from the nest, cause sometimes she will have an egg tucked under a wing, and check the eggs. Often times, she will add someone elses eggs to her clutch, or they will lay there, when she is off the nest. Mark the eggs you want to hatch and keep removing any other eggs. She will nearly stagger when she first gets off, but kind of snaps out of it, go out and terrorize the layers, dust bathe, eat a bit, get a drink and come back to sit some more. I check her morning and night to make sure she is in the right spot. Once, she did get on the nest next to where she had been sitting and the eggs were cool to the touch, I just moved her back, and the eggs later hatched right on schedule.
By keeping her with the flock, she rises in pecking order, they continue to accept her as part of the flock, and when the chicks hatch, they give her a great deal of room and while they will peck a chick, they are terrified of broody when she comes over to protect the chick. Within days, the chicks are part of the flock and there are no integration issues later.
If you separate the broody completely, then when you introduce her back into the flock, she comes as a stranger, the flock does not recognize her and will attack her and her chicks.
Mrs K
