Hen Sitting In Coop - Cleaning?

[thaiturkey]

Eggs have been laid by three hens for a few days now in a nest we made in a box in the coop that all the turkeys share. It was an urgent temporary arrangement that we think we have to stay with for this round of hatching.

Now, one of the hens seems to have decided to sit. That leaves me wondering how I shall clean the coop without disturbing her. Perhaps it doesn't matter but we don't want to risk frightening her away from the eggs. Also, there is the matter of her sharing the coop with two other mums to be, five poults and the father to be. Should we try to separate them in some way for the sake of the eggs?

Advice from the more experienced would be welcome, please.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Once the hen is sitting hard and if she is used to you there usually isn't a problem going around her. Some of our hens you could tear the house down round them and they wouldn't come off the nest. I always let them lay and sit where they want but after the hatch we move her and the poults to a "maturnity pen" so she can raise them in peace. it will cut down on your poult losses.

Steve

 

[thaiturkey]

Thanks Steve.

It seems to have been a false alarm this time because she left the nest after about three hours. The time will surely come soon, though.

Chicken keepers here use domes made of split bamboo to separate difficult birds from the others. I think that a large one of those covered with fine netting would be perfect for mother and babies.

 

[OmaBird]

Why not give them more nest boxes? I use Cat carriers with the doors removed. I tie them down so they can't flip over. The problem I find if a hen is sitting, and more eggs are laid in the same nest day after day.... When the eggs start hatching the hen will leave the other eggs before they hatch. They will get cold and die. If you can collect eggs several times a day and store them in a cool place until a good amount of eggs are collected. Date the eggs with a pen and give them to the sitting hen. Any new eggs should be removed from the nest. You won't scare off a hen that is sitting. My hens are use to me checking under them daily. If I know what day they are due to hatch I can remove them right after they hatch or move them to my incubator a few day before they to hatch.

 

[thaiturkey]

Thanks OmaBird. We have provided two nesting boxes but the three hens are laying in the same one. We might move some eggs to the other nest.

The air temperature here is up to 95F during the day time so the fridge is the only cool place. I would use an incubator to solve the nesting issues but I can't find one to buy here. I'm looking for the parts to make one but suitable thermostats are proving elusive too.

These are our first eggs so we are learning very cautiously. I know that some people candle their eggs at some stage so I need to find out a bit more about that too.