Help I think my hen is broody!!!

[Chquinta]

Yea I was thinking about getting a wire dog kennel and putting her in there with food and water and she has space to get up and poop in there but not on the eggs. I can check on her daily since I'm home but I just want to make sure the eggs I put in there will take and how can I check that they have.

 

[ToxicLily]

Heh my three hens act like they are broody but wont decide to permanently sit. Frustrating.

 

[Chquinta]

How long are they sitting before they leave..

I've been reading and I'm a little worried since I already put eggs under her that she will get up in the middle of it. I've read I should have put regular eggs for a couple of weeks then if she is still sitting go ahead and switch them out.

 

[Kev]

How long are they sitting before they leave..

I've been reading and I'm a little worried since I already put eggs under her that she will get up in the middle of it. I've read I should have put regular eggs for a couple of weeks then if she is still sitting go ahead and switch them out.

The thing is, you're seeing all those actively reporting their broody issues and a normal broody who stays on the nest is not a cause for emergency/excitement/calls for help.

The typical hen will sit for the whole course. If she's staying on day/night for 2 days she is truly broody and I would go ahead and set eggs destined for hatching under her and not worry about it... until Day 20, ha.

Mark the eggs, set ALL eggs under her at once. Remove ALL previous eggs and also any further eggs added to the nest by other hens. Quite a lot make those mistakes. The hens are not going to wait around for the late eggs. They leave the nest about 12-24 hours after the first chick hatches.

You can wait a week or two for desirable eggs to collect before putting under her. Or any time in next few days if you already have eggs and the number desired. No more than 12 eggs for the typical hen though.

BUT, if you decide to move her to kennel.. do NOT put desired eggs in it immediately. Use tester eggs in case she refuses to brood in there or is not exactly settled for a day or two- sitting but cackling and standing up for moments... Some hens move well to a nest set up very different from their original nest... some hens flip out and refuse. Usually the best luck at moving happens if you do it at night.

 

[Chquinta]

The thing is, you're seeing all those actively reporting their broody issues and a normal broody who stays on the nest is not a cause for emergency/excitement/calls for help.

The typical hen will sit for the whole course.  If she's staying on day/night for 2 days she is truly broody and I would go ahead and set eggs destined for hatching under her and not worry about it... until Day 20, ha.

Mark the eggs, set ALL eggs under her at once.  Remove ALL previous eggs and also any further eggs added to the nest by other hens.  Quite a lot make those mistakes. The hens are not going to wait around for the late eggs. They leave the nest about 12-24 hours after the first chick hatches.

You can wait a week or two for desirable eggs to collect before putting under her.  Or any time in next few days if you already have eggs and the number desired.  No more than 12 eggs for the typical hen though.

BUT, if you decide to move her to kennel..  do NOT put desired eggs in it immediately.  Use tester eggs in case she refuses to brood in there or is not exactly settled for a day or two- sitting but cackling and standing up for moments...    Some hens move well to a nest set up very different from their original nest... some hens flip out and refuse.  Usually the best luck at moving happens if you do it at night.

Ok thanks kev she's been there day and night for 2 days now and when I give them treats or let them out to range she does come out but will stay real close and then go back in to sit on them. I have went to the store and bought a wire dog kennel and set it up already to move her tonight so ur saying don't put the eggs she's been sitting on in there until I know she will stay there if I do that what do I do with those eggs if I put "fake" ones in to see if she will stay broody from the move. Or are you saying that it's ok to move those eggs into the kennel at night along with her. Thanks

 

[Kev]

Yes move them with her... just be prepared for those eggs possibly going bad if she has a fit about the new nest.

Basically keep valuable eggs in your basket or collect new ones until she proves she is willing to stay on the new nest for a day or two before changing the eggs.

Some hens will stick on from the start, some have a fit for a day before finally settling, some just plain flip out and refuse the new nest.

If she is off the nest tomorrow, try ignoring her and see if she will go back to the nest.

If she has a fit, either being away from the nest for more than a hour or going on/off very frequently.. but she eventually settles and sticks good to the nest the next day, it would not be a bad idea to replace all the eggs just to be safe.

 

[Chquinta]

Well I was gonna put her in there at night with the eggs and lock the door she won't be able to get out I have her water and food in there as well so I'm assuming she will just start squawking and not sitting if she doesn't like the new nest. Is her new nest not good I read on another forum here to put them in a wire dog crate and lock her in until they hatch her eggs..

 

[Kev]

I'm surprised at the wire dog crate suggestion.. it will work only if you are either able to move the whole nest or recreate the same nest in there.

If she's been in a wooden nest box and the new nest is just simply in the dog crate with nest material, chances are high she won't accept. Too different.

Might have better luck with the plastic ones that are mostly enclosed if you are unable to move the whole nest.

I use covered cat litter boxes for nests.. for easy cleaning and being able to move broody hens if need be- just pick up the whole litter box after dark- so easy. I have placed a wire cage over the whole nest with some space for the hen to get off nest.. they worked allright. If you are able to do something like this, then the wire dog crate will work great.

 

[ToxicLily]

I took my hen last year and locked her up in a big bird cage with her eggs. She hated it but settled. We couldnt break her broodiness and so this was our other option. We couldnt let her keep her outside nest because theres an opposum problem in our neighborhood.

 

[Chquinta]

I use blue storage containers with the lid on them and just cut a whole out for them. I worried now that she won't like the crate I set up. I can take the hay I use for there nesting boxes and take the eggs out move the hay into the crate on top of what I put in there already and then put the eggs in there and move her in hoping she's ok with it.