Chicken brooding under porch

[SammyS]

Hi, two of our chickens have been going missing the last few days. In the morning I find them outside waiting to go in the coop. By the afternoon they are missing again. We finally figured out that they were staying under our porch. We think they are brody. It's in the 20's at night here. The space they are hiding under is very tight and I don't think we can easier reach them or their eggs. What do we do? Can the chickens and eggs survive or do we try to catch them and keep them in the coop.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

If they're sleeping in the coop, they aren't broody. They would normally stay with the eggs all the time when broody and only leaving the nest to eat, sleep, and potty. It sounds like they are going under their just to lay eggs.
I would personally try to get the eggs out and cover the hole because it could end up being a very smelly mess.

 

[aart]

If they're sleeping in the coop, they aren't broody.

Sounds to me like they are spending the night under there.

In the morning I find them outside waiting to go in the coop.

What do we do? Can the chickens and eggs survive or do we try to catch them and keep them in the coop.

I would strongly suggest you get them and the eggs out of there and block that area off so they can no longer access it.
Might be good to keep all the birds confined to coop and run for a week to 'rehome' them to sleeping and laying in the coop.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Sounds to me like they are spending the night under there.

I much has read it wrong. Oops!

 

[aart]

I much has read it wrong.

Maybe, hopefully @SammyS will come back and clarify.

Oh, BTW... Welcome to BYC! @SammyS
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!

 

[CluckerFamily]

Do you have room for many many chicks?
What does your porch look like?
Are you leaning toward letting them hatch?

 

[SammyS]

We do have room for more chickens, but we're heading into winter so I'm nervous about it. We live in Vermont and our nights are dropping into the 20's. They went back under our porch again. They are in almost a crawl space and are hiding about 15 feet back. I can't get to them or the eggs without ripping out our porch. I'm unsure what to do. I would imagine under our porch is just as warm as our coop but can they survive like that? I'd love to nab the girls and the eggs and set them up in a new spot but I'm not sure if I can get them.

 

[aart]

We do have room for more chickens, but we're heading into winter so I'm nervous about it. We live in Vermont and our nights are dropping into the 20's. They went back under our porch again. They are in almost a crawl space and are hiding about 15 feet back. I can't get to them or the eggs without ripping out our porch. I'm unsure what to do. I would imagine under our porch is just as warm as our coop but can they survive like that? I'd love to nab the girls and the eggs and set them up in a new spot but I'm not sure if I can get them.

I'd be more worried about predators.
Can you do some digging to make more space?
Can you grab birds, or lock the coop, when they are waiting to go into coop in the morning?

 

[SammyS]

We have a cat that seems to do a pretty good job with the predators. I can't dig more under the porch but I can try to nab the chicken. I keep running into a logistics issue. If I lock the coop behind them do I run the risk of my other chickens laying somewhere else? Only one seems to be coming out at a time. I keep trying to navigate this between work and my two kiddos and I can't seem to figure out how to get the hiding chickens in while letting our other chickens out. And then what to do about the eggs! Are the chickens ok in twenty degree whether? I'm worried about them not getting enough food and water right now too.

 

[aart]

We have a cat that seems to do a pretty good job with the predators. I can't dig more under the porch but I can try to nab the chicken. I keep running into a logistics issue. If I lock the coop behind them do I run the risk of my other chickens laying somewhere else? Only one seems to be coming out at a time. I keep trying to navigate this between work and my two kiddos and I can't seem to figure out how to get the hiding chickens in while letting our other chickens out. And then what to do about the eggs! Are the chickens ok in twenty degree whether? I'm worried about them not getting enough food and water right now too.

At your temps I'd give up on hatching and just get the birds(is there one or two?) out of there.
Breaking a broody works best with a crate, so that would take care of both problems, confine the bird and break her broodiness...while you put something up to keep them from under the porch.

Apron for blocking under porch:
Good examples of anti-dig apron installation.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/wire-around-coop.1110498/#post-17093528
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/new-coop-project.1169916/page-2#post-18481208

Breaking broody:
If you don't want her to hatch out chicks, IMO it's best to break her broodiness promptly.

My experience goes about like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest (or as soon as I know they are broody), I put her in a wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop or run with feed and water.

I used to let them out a couple times a day, but now just once a day in the evening(you don't have to) and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two. Or take her out of crate daily very near roosting time(30-60 mins) if she goes to roost great, if she goes to nest put her back in crate.

Tho not necessary a chunk of 2x4 for a 'roost' was added to crate floor after pic was taken.