Free range hen sitting on eggs out of reach

[Kelliarm]

We free range our chickens (5 hens of varying types and one black copper maran rooster). Our one black copper maran hen has always had issues with laying outside the coop but we could usually find them and stop her laying in each area we found. Now we know she is sitting on some eggs in an area that we cannot get to as its inside a large area of thick blackberry bushes. We cant even see her but we know she is sitting as she hasn't been back to the coop at night for 4-5 days. We see her mid-morning coming out and eating/drinking with the rest for half an hour or so and she looks healthy. We tried following her yesterday but only today were we able to track her to the blackberries.

We are worried about predators and her not having enough to eat. We haven't seen a raccoon or possum in about 2 years but they are around I'm sure. But really the only thing we could do is capture her and lock her in the coop. But I think she would go back to her eggs once we let her out. We cant get to her eggs right now... blackberries in Western Washington are really thick right now and I'd have to pay a lot to have them cleared. We also have bees and the blackberry nectar flow is the main flow we have each year. So I think I would prefer letting her sit and see if the eggs hatch. Is this a really bad idea? Will she come out with her chicks and come back to the coop naturally?

Thanks for any advice!

 

[bobbi-j]

One of two things will happen. She'll hatch her eggs or she'll get eaten. If you can't move her nest, and are willing to let her set where she is, that's about it. One way to look at it - if the blackberries are too thick for you to get to her, hopefully they're too thick for a coon, too. As far as getting enough to eat, you've seen her out eating and drinking. She'll be fine that way. They don't expend much energy while nesting, so don't require as much food. Good luck in whatever you decide to do!

 

[Kelliarm]

Thank you Bobbi-J!