First time with a broody, - some questions....

[buckabucka]

I have my first broody hen. I really did not want her to hatch anything, as I have 23 eggs in an incubator. We did the wire bottom cage thing for 3 1/2 days to break her broodiness, and it did not work. Since I have eggs going anyway, I thought I might give her a couple, rather than stuff her back in the broody-buster cage. I sectioned off part of the coop and made a little nest there. Foolishly, I tried to move her in the middle of the day. She freaked out, throwing herself in a panic at all the screens which section off a 4'x6' area, so I let her go. She ran outside and did her business, then went back to a nesting box.

Questions: If I move her into the sectioned off area after dark, should I start with a nest that's in a cage (to prevent frantic running at the screens)?

If I can get her to sit in the new location, does it matter that the eggs I give her will hatch in only 10 days (they've been in the incubator a while)?

Is there a chance that the mother hen will have the new chicks integrated into the flock in 4 weeks? (I really hope to use the sectioned off area to grow out my newly hatched birds, after 4 weeks indoors in the brooder).

If she won't take to her new location, my last resort will be to slip a couple of chicks under her after they hatch indoors. I'm really apprehensive about all of this, but I need to stop this broodiness somehow. I worry the hen will starve to death.
I appreciate any advice!

 

[Happy Chooks]

Move her after dark and give her fake eggs to sit on, by morning hopefully she'll be settled.

Doesn't matter that they'll hatch in 10 days, chickens can't count.

By 4 weeks, she'll have them integrated just fine.

If she doesn't take to her new location, let her brood in the nest she's chosen and mark a big X on the eggs you give her. Remove any unmarked eggs daily. If you slip day old chicks under her, also make sure you do it at night.

 

[buckabucka]

Great! Thanks for the advice. I'm going to move her tonight and hope she settles down with the fake eggs, then I'll put a couple real ones under her if she stays put.

So glad that chickens can't count!