Broody will only sit in nest!

[chickenheart]

My first ever broody (from my first ever chickens) will not sit on her eggs if I move her. She is currently sitting on three eggs in the ever-popular middle nesting box. She seems to be extremely devoted to her task, warning the other hens away if they try to take over the nesting box. She did get pushed out once when another hen took over to lay, but immediately returned to her little clutch. One night I quietly moved her into a dog carrier, but she became very upset. I left her for the night, hoping she would settle in. However, in the morning she seemed to have not been sitting on the eggs as they were a bit scattered. I opened the door to the carrier and out she went into the run with the others. I thought that was the end of it, but a short time later she was back in the nesting box - sitting very seriously. I returned the eggs to her and she happily took them in. A few nights later, I tried again. This time I left the door to the carrier open, in case that had been an issue. The move was quiet and calm, but when I returned to check on things an hour later, she was roosting with the others! Yikes!!! I moved her back into the nest, returned the eggs and that was that. She is currently sitting with determination. I candled the eggs once (just with a flashlight) and they looked good. Now I am concerned about what could happen if they hatch in the nesting box. I have read threads where chicks fall out or try to follow their mother. Also, would the chicks be safe in the coop with the other chickens? I figure I could move them into the carrier after they all hatch, but what about the time in-between? Should I just screen off the box? It's rather small for my broody cochin and food and water, but I could make something work. Should I raise the carrier off of the floor? I'm such an ignorant chicken owner- if these eggs hatch it will be in spite of me, I'm sure!!! Thanks for any suggestions:/

 

[gameboygal12]

well I had the same problem with my broody chicken. thatg's weird how she won't sit on her eggs when she's in the dog carrier..... I put my broody in a white box with a see-through breathable lid. I put her in my basement near the window so she can see when it's day and night outside. I think it would be kinda dangerous to let the chicks hatch in the nesting box with the other chickens because they could fall out or another chicken can peck it to death!

so maybe put her in a box where she can see out and see if it works

 

[dianneS]

Put some wire over the front of the nest box and let her out twice a day to eat, drink and poop. That should work if she's so determined to stay in that nest box! Keep those other hens out of there and she'll be fine!

The babies should be fine in the coop with the others as long as they have mom to protect them. If the nest box is an upper level nest box and you're concerned about chicks falling out, you could move mom and chicks to a lower level after the chicks have hatched but before mom has gotten off the nest with them. Or you can always just make them a ramp!

 

[gameboygal12]

Quote:
your idea sounds better than mine! haha

 

[suebee]

I'm going through the same thing. She refuses her new "digs" so had no choice but to leave her in the nesting box until all hatch.
I will screen that just before they hatch so none fall out. As soon as they all hatch I will move them to the nest I made on the floor. She will stay there because she'll want to be with her new chicks. They're due March 21st.

That being said, I may try to move her to the floor nest...just one more time. I doubt she'll stay there but I'll try.

 

[chickenheart]

Thanks for the replies! I will screen the nesting box until the chicks hatch and then move them. There are three nestings boxes (built into the side of the coop) but the walls between them don't go all the way up. Another chicken can reach it's head over into the next box. Does that sound like trouble for the babies, that perhaps I should screen in the sides as well?

I love the idea of a ramp, but I think it would be too steep in my coop. Although, it could prove to be a fun little amusement park for the chicks! Who needs King's Island? Peep peep yippee!!!

 

[Kung Foo Chicken]

I just use a red colored pencil and draw a line around the original eggs
and remove any new eggs. I am there for day 21 though to put up a barrier
as other hens will flatten chicks in the box.

 

[suebee]

Quote:
About the other hens reaching their heads into the nest box....believe me, most hens who've just hatched babies would rip another hen's head off just for peaking.

Love your chick amusement park description!

 

[dianneS]

Quote:
About the other hens reaching their heads into the nest box....believe me, most hens who've just hatched babies would rip another hen's head off just for peaking.

Love your chick amusement park description!

Yeah, no kidding. I've never had any problem with hens and protecting their chicks. No hen or roo is going to mess with those babies in the coop as nature intended. Mom will make sure of that. Now try and introduce a bunch of incubator chicks to a coop full of adults, that's a different story.

Don't worry about the ramp being too steep. Something is better than nothing. I've had five chicks die in a second story nest box because they were too "chicken" to jump down with mamma. If they'd have had a ramp of any kind, I'm sure they'd have survived. I have ramps to all of my nest boxes now and they are all steep, but I've mounted steps on all of them. Just strips of wood for them to grip on like a ladder, they're not sliding boards. You have to be sure that they have a way back into the nest as well. Mamma hens don't have arms, they can't carry them up to that nest box! But most of my hens have been smart enough to start nesting on the ground after they leave the original nest with the babies.

 

[chicksgalore]

I had this issue with two of my hens last year. The first time, thankfully was in a coop where the nest was in a separate little "room" and I was able to staple screen over the opening. I put food/water in there and she was there the whole time. In the other coop, which is where she and another hen decided to brood the next time, I wasn't able to block it off from the others and every day the brooders got knocked off the nest, new eggs laid, pooped on, messed up and broken. They got so messed up I couldn't tell which ones I had marked any more and I soon lost track. Finally after forever, I had to throw the whole batch out and force the hens off.