Broody keeps getting back in the wrong nest!

[RioLindoAz]

It was a cold windy night when I moved my first broody into her own nest. She could hardly tell she was in a different nest. Her new nest was a box with out a top, so I used a towel to cover it up. That was a dumb move... about an hour later I went to check on her, and the towel had been blown off. She wasn't in the nest, she was trying to get into the coop to get to her old nest. I felt the eggs and they were very cold. Yet, 20 days later all but one of her eggs hatched. Seven beautiful chicks, with a beatiful mother.
I'm sure you hen's eggs still have a chance at hatching, as long as she is separated from the flock and is put in a good nest.

~Rio

 

[stefmech]

I have read several times to separate the broody. Does this mean just give her a private nest box like a dog crate in the coop or to put her in a totally separate pin - not in the coop?

 

[bock]

Seperate em!!!

 

[basicliving]

stefmech - I made a separate area in the coop, where she could still see and hear the others. I made mine AFTER the chicks were hatched - but the next broody will go in there right away. Mine is directly under the nest boxes - which are a couple of feet off the ground.

 

[dancingbear]

I have a light Brahma hen who never can remember which nest is hers. She'll be off her eggs, in an empty nest, and growl and peck at me when I pick her dumb a** up, and put her back on the eggs. Then she gets this look on her face like, "Oh, here they are! That's alright, then." and starts shuffling them with her feet. scritch scritch scritch scritch scritch scritch...then once they're turned and re-arranged to suit her, she'll settle.

The eggs get cold over and over. Then they hatch, to my amazement. Or most of them, anyway. This particular hen won't be moved to seclusion. She'll leave the eggs, and throw fits, and nearly beat herself to death to get back on the eggs. Or to the wrong nest. I have a dark Cornish who won't let me relocate her, either. But most of them will, and that's so much easier! 1 hen, 1 nest, and leave them in seclusion until the chicks feather. They can see and hear the rest of the flock, but they're in a protected space for a bit, it gives them a good start. Then they get to join the flock.

 

[stefmech]

Thanks for the info,

You will never believe which of my hens just went broody. I have 5: cuckoo marans, BR, Australorp, EE, and a brown Leghorn. The winner is.... my leghorn. She has been on the nest box three days and 2 nights. I hand raised them since they were day olds. They are all very friendly except my leghorn - she is a meanie. Who would have thought she would be the first to go broody let alone even go broody at all.

I don't have a rooster, so I am considering giving her some fertile eggs. Right now I am letting her sit on some of hers - I feel bad taking them from her. I will give her a few more days to see if she is really broody.

 

[warmfuzzies]

Good news! I have three babies!

So there is hope for about any eggs! My hen, Molly, got back on the wrong nest EVERY day for about the last week and a half, and I had to put her back in her enclosure. The eggs were cool many times, and downright cold, a few times. So let them go, they may be OK! And, next time I will be penning her up MUCH better!