Chicken no longer sitting on eggs

[Sierra67]

I have a broody chicken sitting on 4 duck eggs that are due to hatch on the 26th (so only a couple days) however her laying box where she has been sitting isn’t safe for the babies because of height and other birds so today I moved the eggs and mama into a bin and brought them inside for the lockdown but now she won’t sit on them in the bin, I’ve tried making it dark, I’ve added a milk crate to make it more like the box she’s been in but I’m worried about the eggs.

 

[sourland]

Move them back to the nest site, and she will likely go back to setting. Hopefully her broodiness has not broken. If she resumes setting, make the nest inaccessible to other birds. The other option is an incubator.

 

[Ridgerunner]

To me you have three some options.

1. Toss the eggs. Give up on the hatch.

2. Try to hatch them yourself, either in an incubator or build some type of hatcher.

3. Put her and the eggs back in the nest. Let her hatch them there if she will. Will the other hens bother her? Possible but not likely. Mine don't. I don't know how high your nest is but will they be hurt by hatching that high? Not likely. If you are that worried move them after the hatch.

4. Lock her in that nest until the hatch is over. Then move them.

 

[Sierra67]

To me you have three some options.

1. Toss the eggs. Give up on the hatch.

2. Try to hatch them yourself, either in an incubator or build some type of hatcher.

3. Put her and the eggs back in the nest. Let her hatch them there if she will. Will the other hens bother her? Possible but not likely. Mine don't. I don't know how high your nest is but will they be hurt by hatching that high? Not likely. If you are that worried move them after the hatch.

4. Lock her in that nest until the hatch is over. Then move them.

They’re 4 days to hatch, I’m not “giving up” on them

The other nest is about 31/2 feet off the ground

I stuffed her in the milk crate and put a towel on it and she seems to be happy sitting on them now.