Broody Hen

[Compton Chickens]

Hi everyone, a few days ago my Mottled Java (Moony) went broody. She seems to be doing fine except that the other hens keep trying to lay eggs in her nest… to eggs got cracked in the process! She is also in the facorite nester that all the hens want to lay in. We want her to hatch eggs but how do we keep out the other hens?

 

[T-R-O-U-B-L-E]

Move her to her own broody space if you want her to hatch.

 

[Ridgerunner]

In this type of question I usually ask about your facilities and give you some options. I don't think that is necessary in your case, you've answered those questions well enough. You need to relocate that broody hen. Fix her a space with a nest, food, and water and not much else. She needs a little room to go poop but not a lot. She should know to not go poop in her nest but that instinct does not extend to her food and water. You will probably be cleaning them out so give your self decent access.

You need a pen that you can lock her into until she hatches, one that she cannot get out of and no other hen can get in. I'd move her at night and move her eggs with her. The biggest risk is that she will break from being broody. Most hens will accept the move to a new nest but occasionally you get one that won't. I think it helps them accept the move if the new nest is sort of dark, or at least not bright.

Good luck. Let us know how it goes.

 

[Compton Chickens]

Thanks for the advice… I don’t have a lot of space where I could put her since we are redoing the space where we would have the separate pen. However we do have a space opposite to the nesting boxes in the coop where we put chicks when we are introducing them to the flock. I can fence it off. It‘s the same as the nesting boxes except without dividers.
Would this work?

 

[HumbleAmerican]

I do opposite of most here.

I mark the eggs she’s incubating. Remove the fresh eggs daily. They figure everything else out.

This year will be interesting. I have my BR that raised 2 batches last year setting and my 8 month old red sexlink setting. Both went full broody the same day.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Thanks for the advice… I don’t have a lot of space where I could put her since we are redoing the space where we would have the separate pen. However we do have a space opposite to the nesting boxes in the coop where we put chicks when we are introducing them to the flock. I can fence it off. It‘s the same as the nesting boxes except without dividers.
Would this work?

It should.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I mark the eggs she’s incubating. Remove the fresh eggs daily. They figure everything else out.

That's typically what I do too. But I don't have the situation described in the first post of this thread. I doubt if you do either. I understand that what works for me might not work for someone else if the situation is different.