Broody hen support

[RaisingChicks101]

I have a hen who I would love to raise some babies for us. A few days ago I noticed she wouldn’t come out of a bush to enjoy some treats (her biggest motivation) she was laying on 3 eggs and tucking them under her when I tested if she would . Coincidentally a friend is hatching chicks 5/5. We agreed to take a few a day after our hen became broody. We have to bring her back to the coop at night and over the last two days she has spent less and less time on those eggs. We want her to stay broody but have tried putting her warm eggs in the coop and she will go and lay on them but we really want her to stay broody! We’re going to get the chicks but if she isn’t broody at all, we won’t even try giving her chicks. it would be great if she would raise these babies! Any advice to keep her broody?

 

[chickenlittle21]

Make sure she has alot of nesting materials

 

[rosemarythyme]

Sounds like she chose a nesting site away from the coop, so by taking her away from it you've started breaking her of broodiness (she would've wanted to stay on location around the clock).

 

[aart]

Any advice to keep her broody?

Put her in a safe place, sectioned off portion of the coop works great here.

When I have a broody I wait until she's been in the nest most the day and all night for 2-3 days...along with those other signs I posted.

Then I put her in the broody enclosure with fake eggs in the floor nest, she won't like being moved, but if she is truly good and broody she will settle onto the new nest within a half a day.
Then I give her fresh fertile eggs and mark the calendar.

I like them separated by wire from the flock, it's just easier all around.
No having to mark eggs and remove any additions daily, no taking up a laying nest, no going back to the wrong nest after the daily constitutional.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I think your concern about leaving her out there at night is predators. Can you build a predator proof enclosure around her and leave her there. It doesn't need to be that big, just room for her nest, food, water, and some room to go poop. You'll have to clean the poop as well as offer feed and water so give yourself access. Any wire used needs to have openings small enough that a raccoon cannot reach through and pull her apart. If I did that I'd leave her locked in there until she hatches. You want it to be well-ventilated so you don't build an oven.

Or build a place to isolate her. Again it doesn't need to be that big, just room for a nest, food, water, and a little room to go poop. Put it in a predator proof area or make it predator proof. I'd make the nest dark. that seems to help. I even make my nest so I can lock her in there in the dark. I move them at night and leave them locked in that dark nest practically all the next day, opening that door to the nest just before dark. Usually they don't even come out to eat or drink until the next morning. The intent is to leave her locked up there until she hatches so she cannot go back to that other nest. Move her eggs with her, she needs eggs to sit on. I've used fake eggs but you already have those real eggs.

I can't guarantee that either of these will work but I think they give you the best chance of keeping her broody. By moving her at might and locking her away form her nest you may have already broken her.

Good luck!

 

[RaisingChicks101]

I think your concern about leaving her out there at night is predators. Can you build a predator proof enclosure around her and leave her there. It doesn't need to be that big, just room for her nest, food, water, and some room to go poop. You'll have to clean the poop as well as offer feed and water so give yourself access. Any wire used needs to have openings small enough that a raccoon cannot reach through and pull her apart. If I did that I'd leave her locked in there until she hatches. You want it to be well-ventilated so you don't build an oven.

Or build a place to isolate her. Again it doesn't need to be that big, just room for a nest, food, water, and a little room to go poop. Put it in a predator proof area or make it predator proof. I'd make the nest dark. that seems to help. I even make my nest so I can lock her in there in the dark. I move them at night and leave them locked in that dark nest practically all the next day, opening that door to the nest just before dark. Usually they don't even come out to eat or drink until the next morning. The intent is to leave her locked up there until she hatches so she cannot go back to that other nest. Move her eggs with her, she needs eggs to sit on. I've used fake eggs but you already have those real eggs.

I can't guarantee that either of these will work but I think they give you the best chance of keeping her broody. By moving her at might and locking her away form her nest you may have already broken her.

Good luck!

Building an enclosure for her around the bush would have been very difficult because there are many branches. Unfortunately I think we have broken her she isn’t acting broody at all anymore. She now has established that spot as the place she lays eggs and has even convinced her sister to lay eggs there as well. We will have to figure out how to get them to start laying in the coop again without making them too upset.

 

[Ridgerunner]

In some ways you want to upset them to get them to break a bad habit. A typical way to break them of that habit is to lock them in the coop only or coop + run for a week or two, at least until they lay each day. No back-sliding, no saying "I won't today but I will tomorrow". Be consistent.

 

[RaisingChicks101]

In some ways you want to upset them to get them to break a bad habit. A typical way to break them of that habit is to lock them in the coop only or coop + run for a week or two, at least until they lay each day. No back-sliding, no saying "I won't today but I will tomorrow". Be consistent.

Thank you. I will do that!