Hen left the eggs on day 2

[Waite5flock]

Hi all
I just put 9 eggs under my broody hen on Sunday evening. She sat dutifully on Monday and all night. But today at some point, (I had to go to town) I can assume it was mid morning, another hen tossed her out to lay an egg in the broody hens nest. She took up residence in a different nest box and left the new egg and her fertile eggs unattended. When I returned this afternoon the eggs were cool. It’s summer here but a cold front has come in and it’s only around 23 degrees Celsius today. I out her back on the eggs and she promptly shuffled them under her and seems content to continue sitting. Will the eggs make it? I can’t find any info about early abandoned eggs. Please help enlighten me.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Probably. You'll want to make sure no one can get to her nest though. They'll keep booting her out to lay in that box

 

[Waite5flock]

I was hoping to not have to interfere too much. She leaves the coop to eat and drink and stretch so I was hoping to not have to pen her in separately. We leave this Friday for a week and have a sitter for the chickens but I wanted to keep it as simple as possible for them. I was surprised she went to an empty nest and not back on the eggs when the other chicken left.

 

[TheFatBlueCat]

They're probably fine but she will likely keep doing the same thing. I 'graft' my broodies into a more suitable location usually a plastic dog kennel, still with the flock. It takes about 2-3 days and I do this before I set the real eggs. Hens lower in the pecking order I have to remove them to beside the run in their own space or they keep getting booted off.
Broody hens are odd creatures.

 

[Waite5flock]

They're probably fine but she will likely keep doing the same thing. I 'graft' my broodies into a more suitable location usually a plastic dog kennel, still with the flock. It takes about 2-3 days and I do this before I set the real eggs. Hens lower in the pecking order I have to remove them to beside the run in their own space or they keep getting booted off.
Broody hens are odd creatures.

I could probably make a pen off her nesting box that she can come out and eat and drink in. It’s just more work for the chicken sitter. I’ve been home the entire summer but just as the chickens are getting more complicated, we have plans to be away.

 

[Waite5flock]

I could probably make a pen off her nesting box that she can come out and eat and drink in. It’s just more work for the chicken sitter. I’ve been home the entire summer but just as the chickens are getting more complicated, we have plans to be away.

This is the pen my husband and I built this evening for her. She can come out of the nest box and she has her own food and water in there. And she’ll be safe from the other hens while brooding and also once the chicks arrive.

 

[WallyG74]

I could probably make a pen off her nesting box that she can come out and eat and drink in. It’s just more work for the chicken sitter. I’ve been home the entire summer but just as the chickens are getting more complicated, we have plans to be away.

They definitely know when you have plans!

 

[_-Captain BRM-_]

This is the pen my husband and I built this evening for her. She can come out of the nest box and she has her own food and water in there. And she’ll be safe from the other hens while brooding and also once the chicks arrive.

Love it! But she will want to be broody where SHE wants to be broody. So I worry if she can get out, she will move back to her nesting box. I had to completely separate my hen.

 

[Waite5flock]

Love it! But she will want to be broody where SHE wants to be broody. So I worry if she can get out, she will move back to her nesting box. I had to completely separate my hen.

Oh she’s still in “her” nest. There is technically access to two nests behind those curtains but I blocked off the second one. So she has her nest with eggs and the pen to eat, drink and stretch and no one can access her to kick her off the nest. The second favourite nest is still available to the other hen that is currently laying

 

[_-Captain BRM-_]

Oh she’s still in “her” nest. There is technically access to two nests behind those curtains but I blocked off the second one. So she has her nest with eggs and the pen to eat, drink and stretch and no one can access her to kick her off the nest. The second favourite nest is still available to the other hen that is currently laying

Perfect!! I have a broody as well right now hatching some quail eggs! Just candled today (day 8, 9 days left!) And I have 7 live growing babies