Broody newbie :D

[Hunny]

I'm pretty sure I have a broody hen on my hands...shes been on a couple eggs (I dont know how many I'll tell you why soon) for 2 full days now.
She is currently in a nesting box (1 of 3) in the coop. She is mighty fussy- hissing and pecking at me when I open the top nesting box door.

I thought I would move her to the starter/brooding box that my husband made, but when I went to prep it for here there were honestly 12 black widows

I'm a bit of a acromaphobic so I drenched the poor brooding coop in bug killer.

I have a cat carrier box available, as well as chicken wire and a stable gun. I'm trying to decide if I should attempt to move her into the cat carrier with her eggs, or just climb in there and block her off from the others.
This morning (after killing bugs) I thought I would just leave her where she is and let nature do its thing w/o an interferance...but about noon I saw my other blacksex link nesting practically on top of the broody hen. I'm willing to bet there are 4 to 5 eggs under my brooder hen...but she wont let me close enough to check.

I suppose I can buck up and put on some gloves and long sleeves and reach in there...but I'm not sure how to go about this all

Recap- Do I move her to cat carrier or just block her off?
do I need to check the egg count right now...or can I wait a few days and candle?

Oh and what next?
Ahaha I can read my eyes blurry, but I never can get enough personal experience opinions.

Thanks Chicken-friends.

**Hunny

 

[Mahonri]

If you block her off, she won't be able to get up and out for her once a day feed, water and poop.

She needs to be able to do that... even in a cat carrier. Many times when you move a broody they quit.

I would change her and the eggs toward evening and make it so she can get in and out but for the first day or perhaps two I'd leave her blocked so she gets used to the new spot.

 

[Hunny]

Sorry I wasnt too clear, I would leave at least a foot and half space in front of her nesting box for some food/water/poop space.

 

[Mahonri]

That should work, but they do like to stretch and flap their wings too..

 

[Hunny]

Does anything think I could still clean and prep the brooder box/coop?

Or how long do you think I should wait before putting chicken/s in it?

 

[Happy Chooks]

I too am on my first broody, also due to hatch 9/22. So we can go crazy together.

I blocked off an area in my coop for my girl because she's lower on the pecking order and kept switching nests. So she's in her own private area now with food/water. She's been getting up once a day, and MAN that broody poop is NASTY!

 

[Hunny]

Quote:
I agree with the poop being nasty! Does yours have pink in it too? LOL

Have you candled yours yet?
I think I will do that tonight.

I have the brooder coop cleaned out and airing out- I'm hoping to put new pine in it today. I really really really would like to move her and the eggs into it- saver for everyone and easier to keep an eye on her. I'm nervous about making the move thou....
The plan is...
I have a cardboard box that I cut down one side leaving only a 2 in bottom (the box is about 16x16x18 long) I will fill it with pine, and after I candle I put the eggs straight into that box- I put the box into the brooder coop....then (with gloves on!) I grab momma hen and move her to the brooder coop.
I am going to *cross* my fingers she sits right back down on them.

If she doesnt, I'm out the chance at a few chicks that I dont need anyways, and I gain experience on having the brooder coop ready so I can make the switch right away in the future.

 

[bigsky henhouse]

Hi all. I'm new here and to chickens as well. I've got 13 hens and one rooster, all born about March 1st. They've been laying now for about a month. I have one Buff Brahma Banty, Louise, who has been sitting now for about a week. I don't know how many eggs yet, I haven't disturbed her. My concern is that she's in a box about 15 inches off the floor and I think I read somewhere not to have them that high for fear the chicks might fall out and get injured. Is this something I should do about now or wait till they hatch and then move them?

 

[bigj]

My 1st broody is due 9/21. She insisted on nesting in the main coops nesting boxes so I dropped em from 3' to 1' with a long shallow staircase so the chicks can make it up and down. This is my 2nd oldest hen and she sits pretty high on the food chain so no one has messed with her. she does seem to be laying an egg a day still. havent figured out exactly what im going to do when she abandons the nest and theres a bunch of half done eggs sitting there. suppose I ought to mark em and collect the extras daily?

 

[lamelde]

I'm also a new egg - so I really don't know what to do here.

I live in Wisconsin (already getting cold) and one of my hens went broody yesterday.
She actually moved one of the golf balls from another nest into hers! Don't ask me how she did it - I couldn't answer that question.

Should I let her sit on eggs this late in the year, remember that I live in WI?

Should I move her into the house or garage for warmth?

And if i can let her - how do I move her without "unbroodying" her?