Broody hen

[Mel35]

Hey guys,

I have my first broody hen in my flock of 5. Mumma is currently sitting on 11 eggs and has been for about a week. I am currently renovating the coop so she has picked the worst time and the worst spot. She has settled in a nesting box that she has scratched the hay out of so her and the eggs are sitting on wood.
So I am wondering, being my first broody hen and the fact they're on wooden flooring in the box - what are the do's and don'ts of a broody hen, can I move the eggs to put more hay under them to make it more comfy for her, do I need to move her out of the nesting box and into a "maternity cage" If I move the eggs will she continue to sit on them or will she abandon them?

Thanks in advanced for all the tips and advice ✌

 

[Debbie292d]

Hens make their own nests how they want it and the eggs are fine on a plain wood nest. You could put some of it near her and see if she pulls it in, but if she doesn't, I'd just leave her alone. If you have to move her for the remodel, I'd put her in the new nest and bring her the eggs to pull under herself.

I had one just hatch 6 that way on wood. Nice fresh straw they all started out with, now all three nest boxes are back to just the plain wood and the straw is on the floor. There's nothing wrong with the straw. I put horse bedding pellets in now, they can't get those out.

Hopefully, in two weeks you'll have 11 little chicks!!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Debbie has firsthand experience with that and I don't. And I trust Debbie a lot.

So I am wondering, being my first broody hen and the fact they're on wooden flooring in the box - what are the do's and don'ts of a broody hen, can I move the eggs to put more hay under them to make it more comfy for her,

Could you post a photo of that nest? I'm mainly interested in how much lip you have around it to hold the straw in. Hens scratch to rearrange their nest and can scratch the straw (or even eggs, fake or real) out if the lip is too short. Since she has been in there a week without scratching any eggs out you are probably OK from that perspective.

Once a broody hen is committed to being broody (after a week yours is) you can move them from the nest. They will probably squat on the coop floor where you put them for a few seconds and then either shoot off to get food, water, and maybe poop before heading back to the nest. Depending on what your nest looks like you may be able to add a strip to raise that lip a couple of inches to hold the straw in.

do I need to move her out of the nesting box and into a "maternity cage" If I move the eggs will she continue to sit on them or will she abandon them?

Some people isolate a broody hen and some don't. To me there are benefits and risks for each. Some of that depends on how much room you have. The tighter they are squeezed together the more reason to isolate her.

I don't. I let her incubate and hatch with the flock. I mark the eggs (with a Sharpie) so I know at a glance if they belong and check under her every day after the others have laid to see if any new eggs have shown up. As long as you check every day those eggs are still good to use.

If you isolate her I'd put her in a cage with a nest, food, water, and not a lot of other room. Leave her locked in there until she hatches. The risk here is that she might not accept the move and break from being broody. Most don't but it is a risk. It usually helps to move them at night in the dark.

 

[Mel35]

Hens make their own nests how they want it and the eggs are fine on a plain wood nest. You could put some of it near her and see if she pulls it in, but if she doesn't, I'd just leave her alone. If you have to move her for the remodel, I'd put her in the new nest and bring her the eggs to pull under herself.

I had one just hatch 6 that way on wood. Nice fresh straw they all started out with, now all three nest boxes are back to just the plain wood and the straw is on the floor. There's nothing wrong with the straw. I put horse bedding pellets in now, they can't get those out.

Hopefully, in two weeks you'll have 11 little chicks!!

Hens make their own nests how they want it and the eggs are fine on a plain wood nest. You could put some of it near her and see if she pulls it in, but if she doesn't, I'd just leave her alone. If you have to move her for the remodel, I'd put her in the new nest and bring her the eggs to pull under herself.

I had one just hatch 6 that way on wood. Nice fresh straw they all started out with, now all three nest boxes are back to just the plain wood and the straw is on the floor. There's nothing wrong with the straw. I put horse bedding pellets in now, they can't get those out.

Hopefully, in two weeks you'll have 11 little chicks!!

Hi Debbie,

Thank you so much for your input! It's comforting to know I am getting advice from a respected chicken owner. I never thought to put hay near her, I might do that and see what happens. I did work around her yesterday and she seemed to be OK with it but she did let me know when I got too close What are horse bedding pellets? Are the thick pellets that they can't pick up and toss out?

 

[Mel35]

Debbie has firsthand experience with that and I don't. And I trust Debbie a lot.


Could you post a photo of that nest? I'm mainly interested in how much lip you have around it to hold the straw in. Hens scratch to rearrange their nest and can scratch the straw (or even eggs, fake or real) out if the lip is too short. Since she has been in there a week without scratching any eggs out you are probably OK from that perspective.

Once a broody hen is committed to being broody (after a week yours is) you can move them from the nest. They will probably squat on the coop floor where you put them for a few seconds and then either shoot off to get food, water, and maybe poop before heading back to the nest. Depending on what your nest looks like you may be able to add a strip to raise that lip a couple of inches to hold the straw in.


Some people isolate a broody hen and some don't. To me there are benefits and risks for each. Some of that depends on how much room you have. The tighter they are squeezed together the more reason to isolate her.

I don't. I let her incubate and hatch with the flock. I mark the eggs (with a Sharpie) so I know at a glance if they belong and check under her every day after the others have laid to see if any new eggs have shown up. As long as you check every day those eggs are still good to use.

If you isolate her I'd put her in a cage with a nest, food, water, and not a lot of other room. Leave her locked in there until she hatches. The risk here is that she might not accept the move and break from being broody. Most don't but it is a risk. It usually helps to move them at night in the dark.

Hi Ridgerunner,

I am not home ar the moment but when I am there I can snap a photo. I think the lip on the nesting box is OK. If anything I do worry that it will be hard for the babies to get in and out of when they hatch. But I will upload a photo and I am open to any advice you guys have on that too.

I haven't marked the eggs under her, I usually so when I incubate them manually, but being my first broody hen I am hesitant to mess around with her too much just incase . Every morning when I let them out she will go out for food, water and a poop so I do quickly count them and the other hens seem to have not added to her brood. Mumma is VERY VERY dedicated to sitting on them, she is usually off them no longer than 20 minutes to do her thing then she is straight back on them so I do wonder how it would be possible for the other hens to lay in that box.

I have the nesting boxes and then I have the perches, the rest of the hens and the rooster all perch in the front section of the coop and mumma and baby are in the back part almost on their own.

Mumma seems to be doing a very good job at keeping her babies safe and warm so I am thinking I am going to let nature take its course but just keep a close eye on her and see what happens. I am so afraid that if I mess with her too much she will break being broody and the eggs will go to waste

 

[BigBlueHen53]

You can mark the eggs quickly while she is off the nest, it won't hurt anything. That way you'll know if another hen or hens crowd in and lay another egg or eggs in the nest. Believe me, it happens! You can remove those the next day when she gets off again. At this stage it's not likely you'll break her.

 

[Ridgerunner]

she is usually off them no longer than 20 minutes to do her thing then she is straight back on them so I do wonder how it would be possible for the other hens to lay in that box.

Most of my broody hens are happy to share the nest with a hen laying an egg. Each broody is different but I've occasionally seen the broody and another hen on the nest at the same time.

Chickens can carry eggs. They can move an egg from another nest to their own nest, even if you think it is impossible. When you deal with chickens expect them to do some amazing things.

I am so afraid that if I mess with her too much she will break being broody and the eggs will go to waste

I understand. Some broody hens do break from being broody, whether you do anything or not. But after they have become a committed broody (stay on the nest for two consecutive nights instead of going back to where they normally sleep) I've never had one break by checking under her for new eggs or even removing her from the nest it make it easier to check.

I try my best to leave a broody hen alone so she can do her job but I feel I have to check under her every day after the others have laid for the day until the chicks start to hatch. Then I totally leave her alone.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

If you've ever tried to break a committed broody out of her broodiness, you would know it's not that easy to do!

 

[Debbie292d]

Hi Debbie,

Thank you so much for your input! It's comforting to know I am getting advice from a respected chicken owner. I never thought to put hay near her, I might do that and see what happens. I did work around her yesterday and she seemed to be OK with it but she did let me know when I got too close What are horse bedding pellets? Are the thick pellets that they can't pick up and toss out?

Horse bedding pellets are 100% compressed pine. We've used them on the coop floor since we started raising chickens again 8 years ago. We've started using them in the brooders this spring. Gamer changer there!

I started putting those in the nest boxes that they perch in front of so I didn't have to clean them so often. (Silkies like wide perches.) Then I found out they were using those two over the other five with straw in them to lay their eggs. No, they don't touch them, just scratch them around saving me the job of that. The pellets dry out the poops, so eliminates smells and humidity. I just stir them now and then if I see the poop building up, or use a little shovel and take out the dry poops. On the floor we do nothing, just change them yearly, in the spring.

 

[Carters Chick House]

Hey guys,

I have my first broody hen in my flock of 5. Mumma is currently sitting on 11 eggs and has been for about a week. I am currently renovating the coop so she has picked the worst time and the worst spot. She has settled in a nesting box that she has scratched the hay out of so her and the eggs are sitting on wood.
So I am wondering, being my first broody hen and the fact they're on wooden flooring in the box - what are the do's and don'ts of a broody hen, can I move the eggs to put more hay under them to make it more comfy for her, do I need to move her out of the nesting box and into a "maternity cage" If I move the eggs will she continue to sit on them or will she abandon them?

Thanks in advanced for all the tips and advice ✌