How do you seperate broodies?

[Star428]

How do you separate incubating broodies without building another coop?
I have a broody, and I want chicks, but the problem is she's using the only nest box the other hens will use to lay. I've tried putting her in another one, but she went back to that one (is there a reason why they all only like one? They're the same)

 

[Faraz1]

Put her in a small dog crate

 

[FarmGirl01]

I’m a silkie breeder and I will say. Once a hen thinks she has eggs in a certain box she won’t leave it. Best thing to do is have her completely separate from the box she wants to be in. If you have another separate box use it for the birds that are laying. Put a golf ball or any round object in it and they should start using it. For the eggs you want the hen to incubate put a mark on the egg with sharpie so you know which ones are hers.

 

[ThePhoebeFive]

I’m a silkie breeder and I will say. Once a hen thinks she has eggs in a certain box she won’t leave it.

Yes, that's my experience too. I personally just leave her with the flock. If she's a good mama she'll keep the babies safe from the other adults. It's honestly the easiest way and I've never had a problem with it. I've had five different broodies and they've all been good about that.

 

[Star428]

Yes, that's my experience too. I personally just leave her with the flock. If she's a good mama she'll keep the babies safe from the other adults. It's honestly the easiest way and I've never had a problem with it. I've had five different broodies and they've all been good about that.

My problem is my chicken Olive likes to put all the eggs under her before she lays and the other day she even broke an egg because they were fighting over it!

 

[ThePhoebeFive]

My problem is my chicken Olive likes to put all the eggs under her before she lays and the other day she even broke an egg because they were fighting over it!

Oh. That makes sense.

 

[FarmGirl01]

I personally just leave her with the flock. If she's a good mama she'll keep the babies safe from the other adults

I will separate her while she still has eggs. Once the babies hatch I re introduce her with the flock. Never had any issues

 

[Yardmom]

I use dog crates, but any place they can not get back to the original nest might work. (Some settle down easily and others break from broodiness when moved). The reason I move mine is because with around 30 hens per coop hens tend to shake up the eggs too much when trying to lay where the broody is.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

I HAVE to have separate secure pens for my broodies due to all the rat snakes and copperheads in my rural wooded area. Otherwise no eggs or chicks would survive, same as my neighbors' broodies lose all of theirs unless the neighbors do the same. The bonus is it gives each broody a quiet, undisturbed place to incubate her eggs. Some of my "pens" are nothing more than giant wire dog cages wrapped in 1/2" hardware cloth. If this isn't an option for you and snakes aren't a problem, you can block off your broody's chosen nest box from your other hens, then let her out once or twice a day to eat, drink, poop and dust bathe. If you go this route, make sure to block her nest box from the other hens when she is out, because they will be very curious and want to check out her special eggs.

 

[Ridgerunner]

How do you separate incubating broodies without building another coop?

My problem is my chicken Olive likes to put all the eggs under her before she lays and the other day she even broke an egg because they were fighting over it!

A good reason to isolate her. We all have different experiences and different things work for different people. I don't know what your facilities look like so I don't know what your options are. It would be nice if your coop were big enough to build a pen in it since it should be predator proof inside so you only need something to keep that chicken in and the others out but not everyone has that ability.

Don't think in terms of a coop, you just need a shelter. No roosts and not really that much room. You do need weather and predator protection. You just need enough room for one nest, food, and water. By instinct a broody hen should not poop in her nest but she doesn't have that same instinct in regards to her food or water. So give her a little room to go poop but give yourself access so you can clean when you need to, let alone give her more food and water. Plan on locking her in that pen and other hens out until the chicks hatch. To me you lose the benefits of isolating her if you don't isolate her. It is easier on you too, less work.

One danger in isolating her is that she will break from being broody when you move her. Some hens are easy to move, some not. I find that it works best if the new nest is fairly dark. I've been known to lock a hen in the very dark nest for the day after I move her, letting her out at the very end of the day if she wants to come out. Many hens don't come out until the next morning.

Where to build this shelter? My preference is inside the coop if you can. Some people can build a pen around the current nest so they don't have to move her. Most people cannot do that. My next preference is in the run if you can. That way the hen can raise the chicks with the flock during the day and should return to that shelter at night so you can lock them away safe from predators. Some people use an outbuilding, say a shed or garage. Some people even bring them inside their home, maybe a basement but maybe a utility room, spare bathroom or bedroom, wherever. It's not something I'd do but some people do.

You do not want this nest or shelter to become an oven in the sun. Think about shade and ventilation.

Good luck!