Broody hen

[fauna]

I have a hen that is 12 days into setting. It has become evident that another hen...(or 2?) is adding to the clutch. I was thinking of candling the eggs at night and taking tje less devoloped and then enclosing her in the nest area( dog igloo). Any ideas?

 

[MountainWoman73]

I've had this problem. I suggest marking the ones you decide to let her to keep with a big X, and then just removing any without an X every day. I wasn't successful last time I tried to move a nest. The hen didn't accept her new digs and wouldn't sit on her eggs in the new location.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Good idea ... Candle and mark the viable ones, ditch the rest & check everyday

 

[DSDowns]

I was able to successfully move my broody at night before I gave her some fertilized eggs. Just picked up the milk crate she was nesting in, carried her to a dog crate and put both her and her bedding inside. She still was determined to set so I threw some real eggs under her a couple days later.
I'd say since your gal has already started to sit on her clutch moving her is a gamble. Marking eggs and removing extras may be safer for the eggs unless you have an incubator in case she abandons them after a move.

I did end up moving her dog crate again at night about two days before the chicks hatched. I had a massive issue with snakes and so moved her into a very dark office/shop building that was much more snake proof than my coop. She did fine and her chicks hatched without issue.