Can I move a broody hen to another coop??

[WallacetheKhakiCampbell]

Hello! I have had chickens for about 6 months now, and now that it is spring I want to let my chickens raise some eggs. I left a clutch of eggs in the nesting box for a day and both my Orpington and BSL tested out sitting on the for a few hours. What I have read is to let her raise them in a separate coop away from the other chickens. I have a small chicken tractor that I think would work well. The bottom portion is also outside where she can still see and be around the other chickens in the flock. I am wondering if when my chicken starts to sit on the eggs, if I can move her and the eggs to the other coop for her to raise them. This way no rats or other chickens can harass her or the chicks, and I can keep a better eye on her. Is this okay or would she not continue brooding?

 

[H-B-O]

You have to see if they are broody enough keep them in over night with the other chickens in the morning and if she still is on egg put them in the seperate coop

 

[NatJ]

Some hens will continue brooding if you move them, and some will not.

I suggest you collect the fertile eggs safely in your house, and use fake eggs in the nests to see which hens want to be broody. (Wood eggs, plastic eggs, ceramic eggs, golf balls--many options work fine.)

To move a hen: it often works better if you do it after dark. Just move one hen to the separate coop, and give her a clutch of fake eggs. If she sits on them for that night and the next day, it should be safe to give her the real eggs--you know she's willing to sit in that coop.

If the hen paces back and forth and refuses to sit in the new coop, let her out and try the other one instead.

 

[WallacetheKhakiCampbell]

You have to see if they are broody enough keep them in over night with the other chickens in the morning and if she still is on egg put them in the seperate coop

Thank you! I will do this!

 

[WallacetheKhakiCampbell]

Some hens will continue brooding if you move them, and some will not.

I suggest you collect the fertile eggs safely in your house, and use fake eggs in the nests to see which hens want to be broody. (Wood eggs, plastic eggs, ceramic eggs, golf balls--many options work fine.)

To move a hen: it often works better if you do it after dark. Just move one hen to the separate coop, and give her a clutch of fake eggs. If she sits on them for that night and the next day, it should be safe to give her the real eggs--you know she's willing to sit in that coop.

If the hen paces back and forth and refuses to sit in the new coop, let her out and try the other one instead.

Thank you so much! I would not have thought to do it at night. This helps a lot!

 

[WallacetheKhakiCampbell]

And thank you both for such quick responses!!!

 

[NatJ]

Thank you so much! I would not have thought to do it at night. This helps a lot!

If you do it in the daytime, she will probably jump off and try to go back to her old nest.

If you do it at night, she cannot see well, so she will probably stay on the new nest for the rest of the night. Then in the morning she might still try to go back to her old nest, but she might have decided that this one works well enough.

Some hens will happily sit anywhere you put them, and some are very determined to only sit in the place they chose, but I think most are somewhere in between. Moving them at night helps with the in between ones

 

[WallacetheKhakiCampbell]

Also, if I move the hen to the other coop for the 21 days, will she be rejected by the rest of the flock when she returns

 

[NatJ]

Also, if I move the hen to the other coop for the 21 days, will she be rejected by the rest of the flock when she returns

Maybe.

Even if the coops are side-by-side, she won't have much to do with the other chickens while she's spending 21 days on the nest.

After the eggs hatch, when she's taking care of the chicks, it could be useful to have the coops next to each other. That way she and the others can become re-acquainted through the wire mesh while the chicks are young, and not have as much to sort out when she rejoins them.

I've seen broody hens that chased all other chickens away (to protect the chicks), but I've also seen one that would call her chicks and try to hide in a corner, so I cannot say how yours will act after the chicks hatch. She might be a real terror, or she might not.

 

[WallacetheKhakiCampbell]

Maybe.

Even if the coops are side-by-side, she won't have much to do with the other chickens while she's spending 21 days on the nest.

After the eggs hatch, when she's taking care of the chicks, it could be useful to have the coops next to each other. That way she and the others can become re-acquainted through the wire mesh while the chicks are young, and not have as much to sort out when she rejoins them.

I've seen broody hens that chased all other chickens away (to protect the chicks), but I've also seen one that would call her chicks and try to hide in a corner, so I cannot say how yours will act after the chicks hatch. She might be a real terror, or she might not.

Thank you!