I have a problem with 3 hens using one nest box **UPDATE 5-1-12*

[mondotomhead]

I have 3 bantam hens and three nest boxes.

Betty went broody and was sitting on 6 eggs. Then Suzy went broody 3 weeks later ............it the same nest box. Both of them squish themselves together and there is hardly any room but if I move one out she goes right back. Two days ago the six chicks hatched so there are two hens and 6 chicks all in one nest box

Here's by REAL problem. Denise (non-broody hen) won't lay eggs in any box but the one that has the two broody hens and the six chicks. Denise tries to force herself in there and there is just not any room for another chicken. When the chicks get frightened they run out from under their mothers and Denise will continue to peck at them. Denise looks like she was going to kill them. Everyone is clucking, the roosters are freaking out and as you can imagine it is chaos

. I had to pull her out of that nest box no less than 7 times. I tried to block the nest box off. I tried to show Denise another nest box. I tried to show Denise a new nest box I made just or her. I finally just locked her out of the chicken house. She eventually laid an egg under a saw horse.

I'm totally frazzled and spent 4-5 hours yesterday afternoon blocking and parrying. I have no room to put mothers and chicks in their own space either. I'm afraid to see what happened when I come home from work today. Probably dead chicks but I sure hope not.

Does anyone have any advice? I sure could use it

 

[dukeums1]

I was going to tell you that it's okay because all three of my chickens lay in the same box however they are only laying hens so I have no advice, sorry

 

[Lollipop]

I have 3 bantam hens and three nest boxes.

Betty went broody and was sitting on 6 eggs. Then Suzy went broody 3 weeks later ............it the same nest box. Both of them squish themselves together and there is hardly any room but if I move one out she goes right back. Two days ago the six chicks hatched so there are two hens and 6 chicks all in one nest box

Here's by REAL problem. Denise (non-broody hen) won't lay eggs in any box but the one that has the two broody hens and the six chicks. Denise tries to force herself in there and there is just not any room for another chicken. When the chicks get frightened they run out from under their mothers and Denise will continue to peck at them. Denise looks like she was going to kill them. Everyone is clucking, the roosters are freaking out and as you can imagine it is chaos

. I had to pull her out of that nest box no less than 7 times. I tried to block the nest box off. I tried to show Denise another nest box. I tried to show Denise a new nest box I made just or her. I finally just locked her out of the chicken house. She eventually laid an egg under a saw horse.

I'm totally frazzled and spent 4-5 hours yesterday afternoon blocking and parrying. I have no room to put mothers and chicks in their own space either. I'm afraid to see what happened when I come home from work today. Probably dead chicks but I sure hope not.

Does anyone have any advice? I sure could use it

Well, Golly Gee! That's not as big of a problem as you imagine. Yes, Denise will kill the chicks, so you did good. The two hens with the chicks are obviously willing to share, so here's what will likely happen. The 2 broodies will probably leave the nest, with the chicks today, or maybe tomorrow, depending on when they hatched. Then you can let Denise back in to lay, which she will do during the day, sometime. The two moms will want to sleep in the nest for a few days, but that's just at night. Problem solved. The moms will be able to keep Denise away from the chicks, so they will be fine. Now, what other world disasters can we solve today? Just chill out and enjoy the new family.......Pop

 

[mondotomhead]

Well, Lolli, I sure hope you are right about the mothers taking their chicks away from that crowded box. It was awful to see Denise pecking those chicks. I managed to pick up one of the mothers and put her in the middle nest box and not 10 minutes later the other one followed her. I'm hoping Denise just wants to lay in the nest box on the right and it has NOTHING to do with her needing to lay eggs where the other two are.

Thanks for the encouragement!

 

[Lollipop]

Well, Lolli, I sure hope you are right about the mothers taking their chicks away from that crowded box. It was awful to see Denise pecking those chicks. I managed to pick up one of the mothers and put her in the middle nest box and not 10 minutes later the other one followed her. I'm hoping Denise just wants to lay in the nest box on the right and it has NOTHING to do with her needing to lay eggs where the other two are.

Thanks for the encouragement!

You're welcome. It's always funny to see them all wanting to lay in the same box, leaving several unused nests. Happens all the time. That's the main reason I always recommend moving a broody to a private quarters so she can do her time undesturbed. Not only does it keep eggs from being added to a started clutch, but it's safer for the chicks. Have fun........Pop

 

[mondotomhead]

I'd could say I am redesigning my chicken house for a private place for broodys but I just cannot have anymore chickens. They are worse than rabbits and I've raised rabbits before. I'm taking every single egg I see every day after this!

How to you make a broody hen non-broody? I don't want this to happen again

 

[ooptec]

hey,

Heard a few ways to make a broody hen non-broody that included leave in a box that is totally dark for a day and night and dunk in cold water but never used either. Usually just keep taking the eggs away and eventually the light bulb goes on in their tiny chicken brains.

The broody hens I want to hatch eggs, if not where I want them I will go when they are asleep at night and move them to where I want them w/their eggs and that seems to work for me

cheers

 

[mondotomhead]

hey,

Heard a few ways to make a broody hen non-broody that included leave in a box that is totally dark for a day and night and dunk in cold water but never used either. Usually just keep taking the eggs away and eventually the light bulb goes on in their tiny chicken brains.

The broody hens I want to hatch eggs, if not where I want them I will go when they are asleep at night and move them to where I want them w/their eggs and that seems to work for me

cheers

Dunk in cold water

Is it the shock value that makes them "un-broody" Believe me, I'm so desperate for no more broodys or chicks I think I would try it.

I'm just worried about Brown Betty as she has been broody for about a month. When I picked her up yesterday to move her I can feel all her chicken bones. She's so skinny

 

[ChickenCrazy8]

I've read a book that explains two ways to make a hen not broody. 1. is just to keep moving her out of the nesting box and making sure that no eggs accumulate in the nest box.
If that doesn't work.... 2. You make a broody coop which is a confined housing without any nesting space. ie. a wire cage raised of the floor. After three days the hen should not be broody anymore but it will take a week or longer for her to start laying again.
Hope this helps

For more information here are to links the first is a post about her broody hen and broody coop. And the second is verification that it worked.
http://www.hencam.com/henblog/2012/04/what-to-do-about-a-broody/
http://www.hencam.com/henblog/2012/04/updates-2/

 

[mondotomhead]

I have a nice wire cage I could put her in. I'm going to try that. Thanks so much!