I am really ticked off at my girls....

[herechickchick]

They are teasing me with broodiness. They go in the boxes and sit, each day I go out and there and they are sitting. So I give them fertile eggs and move them to the broody house and the next morning they are freaking out and will not sit on the eggs. I can not leave them in the big pen to sit as the other hens continue to lay in their box. What do I do?

 

[happyhens]

Is there any way you can get some wire and section off the broody's nest so you don't have to move her? Or if you can move her whole nest, pick up her nest with her in it at night and move her to the new area. If her nest can't be moved, you could make cardboard liners for the nest that can be moved. Hope this helps you.

 

[herechickchick]

The nest is permanently attached. If I make a wire surround do you think the other hens trying to get in and they will try will cause her to get up. My thing is I am not going to order eggs and have them shipped in just for them to stop. I have 3 broody bantams right now.

 

[basicliving]

Herechickchick - I have two broodies and I leave them in the regular nest boxes. I marked the eggs I am letting them set on and each evening I just lift them and remove any eggs the others laid in there with them. Would something like that work for you as well?

 

[happyhens]

I tried marking the eggs and leaving the broody in the main coop, but that didn't work well for me at all. The other chickens would kick the broody out of the nest, the broody would get confused and return to a different nest, while her own eggs got cold. When the lone chick hatched, both the chick and the mother were picked on mercilessly. Eventually the other chickens killed the little chick

. I won't ever leave a broody to hatch eggs in the main coop again.
If I were you, I would fix 3 seperate places for each broody. It can be something as simple as a large cardboard box (as long as the box is in a well protected area so dogs and other predators can't get to her). You need enough room for the nest, a place to put her food and water, and a small area for her to rest when she is taking a break. Put golf balls or something resembling eggs in her nest. Go to the coop at night, and as gently as possible pick up the broody and move her to her seperate nest with the golf balls or whatever is in her nest. Do that with the other 2, and leave them alone. Oh, and by the way, it helps if you move them to a place where they can't see their old nest. If they go crazy the next morning, as long as they can't see their old nest they should settle down within a day or 2. Surely out of 3 at least 1 or 2 will calm down, and probably all three of them will in a couple of days. Good luck!