First broody hen

[TimonHens]

This is fascinating for me because I had a pullet go broody the day after the 8 week school chicks showed up in the new backyard coop and mini run.
I could do a better job of sectioning the coop but she transitioned off the nesting box to the dog crate with minimal fuss. Unlike the other malingers she doesn't come off for treats and stays on overnight.

I am hoping to be able to source at least a trio of checks at the end of 3 weeks if things go poorly.

 

[Erinnlyn]

This is fascinating for me because I had a pullet go broody the day after the 8 week school chicks showed up in the new backyard coop and mini run.
I could do a better job of sectioning the coop but she transitioned off the nesting box to the dog crate with minimal fuss. Unlike the other malingers she doesn't come off for treats and stays on overnight.

I am hoping to be able to source at least a trio of checks at the end of 3 weeks if things go poorly.

That's awesome she accepted her new spot. That gives me an idea...if I could make a crate or something similar fit my coop. Thanks for sharing

 

[TimonHens]

That's awesome she accepted her new spot. That gives me an idea...if I could make a crate or something similar fit my coop. Thanks for sharing

The dog crate was also the second most popular laying spot, so if we don't close the door or are slow opening, the big hens will sneak in and lay on top of her (she is bantam).

But given that I booted her off for a stretch last night and found the top of my kid's soft boiled egg with the yolk nibbled out and shell and white carefully tucked into the clutch...

Maybe I don't need to worry about more indoor modifications. I should have room to extend with a wire crate.

 

[DobieLover]

You can't choose where a hen decides to go broody

Yes but you CAN choose where she sets.
I've moved 7 hens out of the nest box they went broody in and into the built-in maternity ward to set.

 

[Sussex19]

Yes but you CAN choose where she sets.
I've moved 7 hens out of the nest box they went broody in and into the built-in maternity ward to set.

With some hens you can move them.
Most of mine go bonkers if I try to move them.
Although, with my buff orps one could move them anywhere you liked, and they would stay as flat as a pancake.
I just close the nesting box off as needed.

 

[Erinnlyn]

I have a broody hen all of a sudden. She's only 6 months old so I was not expecting this. First she had three real eggs and two fake eggs. I didn't think that the other hens would push her off the nest every day to add new eggs. Now she has about eight real eggs it looks like. I haven't picked her up off of it because I don't want to stress her out. I labeled the original eggs she had so I know what they are. She got up that one time because I caught it when another hen kicked her off. She's pretty low in pecking order I just need to get the other eggs out, but I don't want to stress her out or make her scared of us and then have her chicks be scared of us when they hatch. She's on day 4 sitting. I'm guessing I'm gonna have to pick her up right? Lol Any tips? My nest box is hard to get at from either direction...not loving my coop's design right now. Lol
Thanks!

Update: I got all the extra eggs out. She had 7 extra, lol. I also got her a little corner sectioned off. She has part of a roost bar, about 4 square feet on the floor, and the equivalent of 2 nest boxes to herself. My coop isn't huge, only 4' x 6', so that was a challenge getting in there to section anything off! She was pretty relaxed during the whole thing, just kind of quietly chirping. The only time she grumbled or growled was when she spotted another chicken, Lol. I observed her eat and drink while I was working in there as well. She has a little food and water cup where she really doesn't even have to get up. I got a picture of it, and the set-up, plus the coop overall. Her water is yellow because it has Hen Boost in it.

 

[ElizabethAdams]

I had a young hen go broody this spring. We are new at this and don’t have a rooster, so I took her off the nest every day to try to convince her that playing outside was more fun. No dice. So I bought chicks and slipped them under her. But my point is that moving her off the nest did not cause her to stop sitting.

 

[Erinnlyn]

I had a young hen go broody this spring. We are new at this and don’t have a rooster, so I took her off the nest every day to try to convince her that playing outside was more fun. No dice. So I bought chicks and slipped them under her. But my point is that moving her off the nest did not cause her to stop sitting.

Thank you!