Do I need to seperate?

[Amira]

I have a broody hen sitting on fertilized eggs. We don't have a rooster so I bought them. I put a nesting box on the floor of the coop which is where she is. I was trying to figure out how to seperate her before I started this process but I couldn't. The way our coop is designed, I just couldn't make it work. The eggs we bought are blue and none of our girls lay blue eggs so there will be no confusion with that. I don't think the other hens will go in that box since it is new and their favorite spot is now available. The broody one is also our head hen so I thought she would be fine in the coop with the others.
Today is day one on the eggs. Do you think I can keep her in the coop with my other 6 hens? Can I keep them all together when the chicks hatch if I switch to a non medicated chick food or all flock for everyone?

 

[Pork Pie]

I am sure that she will be fine where she is. It maybe worth checking to make sure no other eggs are laid there, but in my experience, no other hen will go near an alpha hen. It helps with integration of the chicks if she hatches them there.

Providing your flock is fine with growers feed and optional oyster shell (for the calcium boost needed for laying) then starter food will be ok for all the flock - its only growers food that is more finely ground (or at least it is here in Kenya).

All the best
CT

 

[Amira]

I just checked on my broody and she moved off the new nesting box. She is now sitting in our orginal nesting boxes. Luckily she is not in the favorite one, but one over. I put the fertilized eggs under her and she moved them around a bit and settled in. My worry about leaving her up there originally was that I thought the babies would fall out when hatched. The box she is in is about 2 feet off the ground. Do I leave her up there with the eggs?

 

[Pork Pie]

What i do is leave her where she is until the eggs have hatched or 48 hours after the first one has hatched (and discard the unhatched eggs) and move momma and chicks to ground level, with water and food. You can put them in a crate if you wish and let momma out at least twice per day to dust bath and poo - she'll return to the chicks in a very short period of time. Alternatively, you can leave the door open and let momma do her thing - generally, a momma hen knows whats best for her chicks - far more than humans could ever do!

CT

 

[Amira]

Thank you CT!

 

[Pork Pie]

You are welcome - what I have suggested is only based on my experience - there are many other ways to approach things, so please search and read to your heart's content and then do what you feel is right for you.

Let us know how things go.
CT

 

[Amira]

We are at day 2 of our broody sitting on fertilized eggs. In the morning I went out and she was on the eggs as she was before I went to bed. An hour later I went out to collect the 2 eggs that my early morning layers usually leave for me. The broody hen took them out of the neighboring nesting box and had them under her. I took the two unfertile eggs away. Then awhile later I went out to check again. This time instead of bringing the newly layed egg over to her pile she abandoned the fertile eggs to sit in the nesting box with the one unfertile egg. I moved her over to the fertile eggs and she has been there now for a few hours. I feel like everytime someone lays an egg she might get off the fertile eggs to sit on the freshly layed one. I read that she might keep collecting eggs and I not worried about that. I just worry she will get off the fertile eggs to go sit on the eggs her friends lay. Does anyone have experience with this? I'm worried the eggs will get too cold if I have to go somewhere and am not able to keep checking if she is on the right eggs.

 

[Pork Pie]

Is this her first time hatching eggs? Sometimes it appears that those new to sitting can get a bit confused.

Ct

 

[Amira]

Yes, first time for her. This weekend I will try to get the freshly layed eggs out as soon as possible. Maybe she will get the hang of it by next week and stay put!

 

[Pork Pie]

Fingers crossed!