First Time Broody Hen Switching Nesting Boxes

[DoubleJHomesteader]

Our hen is still a pullet, but definitely seems to want to hatch eggs. She has been sitting on the eggs (7 of them) for a week to a week and a half. But today she was in the wrong box and there are more eggs with her original clutch. It seems that yesterday she switched to the nesting box next to hers. The new nesting box has brand new eggs that she has been sitting on for almost 36 hours now.

Is this a case of our hen just getting confused? Or did she not go back in since there were new egg (is this a thing?)?

I am worried about moving her back because she has not been in the original nesting box for almost 36 hours. Some other hens have gone in and out of the box and some have sat on the eggs for some time, so they have not been cold the whole time, but it still has been awhile and our hen seems to have no desire to go back to her original nesting box. Do I move her back? Do I just leave her in the new box? It looks like this weekend I will be making her a maternity ward.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Make the maternity ward for a successful hatch.

Your broody is being pushed off the nest by the others coming in to lay.

She has NO idea how developed her eggs are. She only wants to sit on eggs. She did not move off the first nest because there were new eggs. She was pushed off by the other hens, and went to the other box.

The eggs in the second box likely have just begun to develop. (It takes 24 hours of setting before the embryos begin to grow). The eggs in the first box are nearly half way developed.

You have a decision to make. Do you want to save the first eggs? They likely only have about 11 days more to go....however, they need to be sat on diligently with the hen only getting off for about 20 to 30 minutes. They may or may not still be alive. You could candle them to see what looks like it is developed. If you are pretty sure they are a go (and I think they likely are), I'd put those eggs under the hen in her 2nd box and remove the eggs from the 2nd box.

Or you could focus on the 2nd box. Let her start anew with these eggs. (But I always feel a bit cruel by tossing partially developed eggs...all those little embryo chicks).

However, she must have her own private box, or she will be pushed off this nest as well when others come in to lay. If you can, block the others from the 2nd box allowing food and water nearby for her. (My coop is large enough I can place a board to keep the others out of the large nest allowing room for food and water at the end).

Otherwise, consider these dud eggs, build your maternity pad, start anew.

You absolutely do NOT want staggered eggs which lead to a staggered hatch. Set all eggs at the same time, so all chicks hatch at the same time (over about a 24 to 36 hour period).

Good luck.
LofMc

 

[Lady of McCamley]

oh...and mark eggs so you can pull any that are set later.
LofMc

 

[DoubleJHomesteader]

Make the maternity ward for a successful hatch.

Your broody is being pushed off the nest by the others coming in to lay.

She has NO idea how developed her eggs are. She only wants to sit on eggs. She did not move off the first nest because there were new eggs. She was pushed off by the other hens, and went to the other box.

The eggs in the second box likely have just begun to develop. (It takes 24 hours of setting before the embryos begin to grow). The eggs in the first box are nearly half way developed.

You have a decision to make. Do you want to save the first eggs? They likely only have about 11 days more to go....however, they need to be sat on diligently with the hen only getting off for about 20 to 30 minutes. They may or may not still be alive. You could candle them to see what looks like it is developed. If you are pretty sure they are a go (and I think they likely are), I'd put those eggs under the hen in her 2nd box and remove the eggs from the 2nd box.

Or you could focus on the 2nd box. Let her start anew with these eggs. (But I always feel a bit cruel by tossing partially developed eggs...all those little embryo chicks).

However, she must have her own private box, or she will be pushed off this nest as well when others come in to lay. If you can, block the others from the 2nd box allowing food and water nearby for her. (My coop is large enough I can place a board to keep the others out of the large nest allowing room for food and water at the end).

Otherwise, consider these dud eggs, build your maternity pad, start anew.

You absolutely do NOT want staggered eggs which lead to a staggered hatch. Set all eggs at the same time, so all chicks hatch at the same time (over about a 24 to 36 hour period).

Good luck.
LofMc

Thank you for all of the advice! That is very helpful.

I can block off an area for her so that she doesn't get pushed out. That makes sense. I don't want to give up on the first eggs, but I wasn't sure if they were still ok or not. Would there be a way to tell if they are still viable? Of course I didn't think to mark them. Now I know what to do to keep going. So many things I never thought of when we got chicken.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

You can candle the first eggs.

Go out at night with a bright LED flashlight. Take an egg. Shine up through the fat end.

A developing chick about 1 week of age will have a lot of "road map" veins and a bit of dark blob on one end. If they are a bit older (you weren't sure if 1 1/2 weeks), then you'll have mostly blob on one end with a vein or two extending outward.

Unfertilized eggs will be clear. (Shine your light through an egg that has been taken out of the nest and not sat upon).

It will be hard to tell if the embryos have died at this point. You *might* see some slushy dark on one end with a lot of clear...or not.

Put all the eggs that are not clear back under the hen. Mark those that are questionable. Mark those that look like they are not as developed (they may have been set later).

That's about the best you can do at this point. You can choose to candle again in a few days (generally best at day 3 to 5, day 10 to 14) to see development. It is important to keep your hands off the eggs and hen the last 2 days before hatch (day 18 forward). That's lock down for her. You can really mess with chick presentation and humidity if you pick up eggs during lock down.

Chicks that have died in the shell turn to icky slush. Personally, after candling now, I'd wait until you've got chicks hatched to recandle the balance. You can see those that are simply behind, and those that are dead. At that point, you can GENTLY shake the egg from side to side on the long axis. Those that are dead slush literally slush-thud. Those that are developed chicks don't. You can wait another day to see what else hatches.

Good luck.
LofMc