Hen gone broody in winter! PLEASE HELP!

[Hope Hughes]

I would love to hatch chicks. I'm also wondering when the other hens lay will she steal their eggs if there is no division? Do they lay while broody?

They will only lay the number of eggs they want to sit on once they have their amount they stop laying until their chicks are not under her.
Everyone goes about a broody hen different if you do move her do it at night, well after everyone went to bed, and after she has been sitting for a little bit, it makes it so they are ok with the move if they have never gone through it before.
Me personally i found it alot easier on me, the chicks and my momma hen if she was away in her own area where the others couldnt get to her but could still see her.
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[Wickedchicken6]

I would love to hatch chicks. I'm also wondering when the other hens lay will she steal their eggs if there is no division? Do they lay while broody?

If there is no division, she will likely steal other hens eggs. My broodies will go out of their way to steal eggs...lol.

 

[Percheron chick]

She will not lay. Mark each egg so new eggs are easy to identify. I mark the eggs everytime I candle.

 

[song of joy]

Some tips for cold-weather incubation: Set all of the eggs at the same time so you don't have a staggered hatch. Don't let her incubate more than 10 eggs (of the size she would lay). Keep her isolated from other hens so they don't add to her eggs, break her eggs, or displace her from the nest and potentially break her broodiness. Keep her supplied with warm water. Provide scratch in addition to chicken feed.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

Yep, gotta mark the eggs. Other hens will lay eggs in her nest when she's away, or when she's there, or will chase her out to lay their own eggs so she does the work of hatching them when she comes back.

 

[Pat Mcaffee]

The hen will not lay while she is broody but the others will. Personally, I always separate my broodies until hatch so that the others don't add a ton of eggs to her heap and before you know it she's been hatching weak chicks for two weeks and you have 20 new mouths to feed - not preferable. If possible, separate the mother into a new box with her eggs and keep them in a warm area (even your house if you're that desperate. Keep her box CLEAN and dry and wait until hatch. Good luck!

 

[elizabethu42]

This is so nervewracking.

 

[Hope Hughes]

You will be just fine. If it makes it easier just put her in a big cage(move her at night) and then just look after her she will do what needs to be done to the eggs and chicks when are hatched.

I use one of these and its attached to a run or in it when babys hatch. ​

 

[Percheron chick]

This is so nervewracking.

doesn't need to be. If she's dedicated, she'll make it happen. I had a Cochin that hatched chicks in the middle of a snow storm and she couldn't of been more proud of herself.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

This is so nervewracking.

It will be a lot less nerve racking if you wait until it gets warmer.