Broody stealing eggs from adjacent nesting box

[mooman]

I have a broody hen sitting on some fertile eggs that i got from a neighbor (I don't have a rooster). I had to split the single nesting box in thier tractor into two (kind of just a partial wood divider). The problem is she must keep reaching around the divider and rolling the other chickens eggs under her. Luckily I had the sense to mark the fertile ones (tiny dots with sharpie-is that ok?).

Will she eventually stop this or am I doomed to fish my eggs out from under a hot chicken butt for the next three weeks?

 

[arlee453]

You are probably doomed to fish eggs out unles you can make the divider more sturdy so she can't see those other eggs over there.

Hope you get a good hatch - sounds like she's a good broody so far!

 

[Sahara]

I don't have your problem, but I have the problem of the other hens laying on top of the broody hen. I mark the eggs so I know which ones she has been sitting on but as you are probably aware, she doesn't like me fumbling around with the eggs beneath her so it is a hassle when the other hens lay eggs in her nest.

I'm almost done. I should have about 10 biddies hatching on Saturday!

 

[CarriBrown]

You may want to get her out of there and into her own, private area. I have a huge tupperware container that I put my broodies (or sick/injured birds) in so they can sit in peace. That also assures me that they are eating and drinking because they aren't afraid of someone else taking their nest over.

 

[crtrlovr]

Will she eventually stop this or am I doomed to fish my eggs out from under a hot chicken butt for the next three weeks?[

 

[Jayare's Chicks]

Get your hip waders out because you are going fishing almost every day. Mine has been doing this for the last 15 days and I have 6 days to go till this next hatch. I marked those eggs too because I thought it would happen.

Jayare

 

[eggsgalore]

I had the same problem and blocked off the mother with eggs from the other hens with wire so they could still see each other, including the whole double nesting area and provided a new container with hay in the morning and the others have laid their eggs in there ever since and the mother could sit in peace. Fishing for eggs is too disturbing it seems like.

 

[mooman]

You may want to get her out of there and into her own, private area. I have a huge tupperware container that I put my broodies (or sick/injured birds) in so they can sit in peace. That also assures me that they are eating and drinking because they aren't afraid of someone else taking their nest over.

That would be ideal, but since it is a tractor I'm dealing with some pretty tight quarters. I tried to remove the nesting platform and make a nest directly under where she had her old nest (worried about biddies getting down once they hatch) but she just walked around looking up at where the platform used to be. So I put it back.

Once the chicks hatch will they stay under her for a day or two or do I have to worry about one wandering over the edge? Will they bee ok if they do? The plan right now is to wait until they are all hatched and then transfer them all to the ground and remove the platform. At this point the barn should be ready so I can put the other three chickens down there and give her the tractor all to herself.​