First time mama HELP!

[Randspearson]

Hey all! I have a first time broody who has been doing really well. Last night (5/27/20) we moved her into her own space in order to keep the other hens out of her nest since the hatching day is getting close. (three or 4 days to go) She was not at all happy and tried to go back to her old nest, so I moved the dog crate into the coop. The other girls (2) are trying to lay eggs in her nest, but I think I have a bigger problem. She isn't sitting on all of the eggs in the nest. We gave her 14 duck eggs along with her few chicken eggs ( she's a large Java ). She seems to be sitting on a little over half. The others are getting cool. The incubator comes in tomorrow, but I'm not sure what to do in the mean time! Should I put her back into her smaller original nesting box? It's harder for the other girls to get in, and it seems like she sits on more of the eggs. Do I wait for the incubator to come in and take some of the eggs, will they be ok???

Update: the Brahma has decided to join her in the crate and sit on the eggs that were left out. Thankfully the crate is made for medium size dogs! I have since closed the pen off to the remaining hen and rooster and will only be opening it at night so they can go roost.

 

[igorsMistress]

I think I'd put her back and candle the eggs to check them. If it's harder to get in then less risk of eggs breaking.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Hey all! I have a first time broody who has been doing really well. Last night (5/27/20) we moved her into her own space in order to keep the other hens out of her nest since the hatching day is getting close. (three or 4 days to go) She was not at all happy and tried to go back to her old nest, so I moved the dog crate into the coop. The other girls (2) are trying to lay eggs in her nest, but I think I have a bigger problem. She isn't sitting on all of the eggs in the nest. We gave her 14 duck eggs along with her few chicken eggs ( she's a large Java ). She seems to be sitting on a little over half. The others are getting cool. The incubator comes in tomorrow, but I'm not sure what to do in the mean time! Should I put her back into her smaller original nesting box? It's harder for the other girls to get in, and it seems like she sits on more of the eggs. Do I wait for the incubator to come in and take some of the eggs, will they be ok???

I’d put her back too. I think the general consensus is the time for moving her is in the early days of brooding and not toward the end. Once her peeps hatch, in about a day or two at most, you can move her to a new enclosure. The first day of hatch she usually won’t leave the nest.

 

[Randspearson]

UPDATE! My son and I put 6 eggs in the Brahma's nesting box, and the rest in the Java's. We got the Java back in the nest, and the Brahma promptly tried to share. I put her in the box next door, and once she noticed the eggs she settled right in!
The Brahma so badly wants to sit on something, I'm just not sure if she's really dedicated, or not, to it. I guess time will tell.
I have put in high calorie food and water, and plan on keeping the coop shut until this evening. Tomorrow I will close it up again so that the two girls won't be disturbed.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Good luck!

 

[Randspearson]

Good luck!

Thank you!
It looks like the Brahma lost interest after laying an egg, so as soon as the incubator comes in we are going to pull the duck eggs :-/

 

[Ruby Rogue]

Sounds like fun times at your place! Good luck with them

 

[Randspearson]

Sounds like fun times at your place! Good luck with them

OMGoodness my back is definitely complaining about the fun we are having around here LOL!