How to move a broody hen?

[Hoopoethick]

Hen didn’t go in last night.. Turns out she’d gone broody. How do I move a broody hen and her eggs to a safer place without her abandoning her eggs?

 

[Yardmom]

Most chickens accept a move if they can not get back to the original spot. I put mine in a cage with the eggs. Some hens settle immediately others take an hour. I have always started with a new set of eggs. Some start with fake eggs until they are sure the move worked. I have successfully moved mine during the day. Some find it easier to do at night.

 

[Hoopoethick]

Thank you! I just moved mine into a spare dog crate we had and covered it with some towels. What do I do if she doesn’t accept the eggs? She had 18 under her when I moved her so I just planned on keeping those eggs. Is it normal for her to attack the cage to get out? How long before the eggs can get hurt? I have a broody silkie but she’s tiny that could incubate them if she won’t take them back.

Most chickens accept a move if they can not get back to the original spot. I put mine in a cage with the eggs. Some hens settle immediately others take an hour. I have always started with a new set of eggs. Some start with fake eggs until they are sure the move worked. I have successfully moved mine during the day. Some find it easier to do at night.

 

[aart]

How long had she been setting those eggs?
That's a lot of eggs!


When I have a broody and want her to hatch I wait until she's been in the nest most the day and all night for 2-3 days...along with those other signs I posted.

Then I put her in the broody enclosure with fake eggs in the floor nest, she won't like being moved, but if she is truly good and broody she will settle onto the new nest within a half a day.
Then I give her fresh fertile eggs and mark the calendar.

I like them separated by wire from the flock, it's just easier all around.
No having to mark eggs and remove any additions daily, no taking up a laying nest, no going back to the wrong nest after the daily constitutional.

I remove barrier about one week after hatch. The chicks are usually safe it's the broody who has to 'fight' her way back into the pecking order...which can be quick or take a few days.

Lots of space helps for re-integration.

 

[Yardmom]

Did she settle in? If it took more than an hour you may want to give her a fresh set of eggs. You may want to do that any way, as with that many eggs she may not have been heating all the eggs all the time. She may have had eggs added by others after she set.

 

[Hoopoethick]

Did she settle in? If it took more than an hour you may want to give her a fresh set of eggs. You may want to do that any way, as with that many eggs she may not have been heating all the eggs all the time. She may have had eggs added by others after she set.

Yes sorry I just saw this, she’s all settled and she pushed up some bedding around herself. I moved 6 eggs into the incubator to lighten the load and they seem to have veins. The reason I didn’t want to change her eggs is because she is a leige fighter and we are trying to hatch those ones (she’s our only hen so we don’t have much eggs from her) Recently we hatched 3 of her eggs if you want to see them

 

[Hoopoethick]

Did she settle in? If it took more than an hour you may want to give her a fresh set of eggs. You may want to do that any way, as with that many eggs she may not have been heating all the eggs all the time. She may have had eggs added by others after she set.

My surprise last night. Apparently one of our lavander buff orphingtons snuck her egg in.