Help? A Broody Hen & New Chicken Keepers

[Enchanted1s]

So, those of you that knew better were absolutely correct. One of the two pullets that just started laying will NOT stay out of Tooties nest! Tootie doesn't seem to mind, but seems like she should! Seems like Rosie wants to go Broody with Tootie! with the same nest! Twice I physically picked her up and removed her. She just kept coming back. I closed the box (as much as I could) and she still tried to squeeze herself in there. We were at a loss as to how to prevent this. I could find NO way - with the nest box in the wall where it was. In order to get the next box out of the wall - the screws were just above Tootie's head! I decided we had to move her to the new coop where she could be isolated and in a safe location should the babies hatch. When she finally came out for her quick break - I removed the box from the wall and set it on 4x4's right under where it was. She returned to the nest!! I carried the nest box, eggs, Tootie and all to the new coop! She stayed on her nest!

The last two nights, I had been taking the pullets from the old coop and putting them in the back side of the new coop (divider wall in and babies in the front). Tonight - they went to the new coop on their own! So, we now have all 6 hens in the new building! Poor Rudy seemed a little lost, but he went to bed alone in the old coop. At least now Tootie can do what she needs to do, without anyone else jumping in her nest! Hopefully, she will stay when I get a day without wind and put the roofing tin on the new building .

 

[Enchanted1s]

I didn't realize that I failed to update this thread. I have talked about this clutch in another thread, but... Tootie has been a great little mother. She stayed on her nest and hatched 4 chicks after spending 21 nights on her 6 eggs.