I think I have one.....a BROODY

[bburn]

I have a Dark Cornish that has been in the nest for three days now. Checked three times today and then when I put them to bed right at dark.

She definatly has a dazed look on her face. She growled at me yesterday. And tonight I took the flashlight out and she is NOT on the roost.

I know NOTHING about a broody hen. I have chicks in the brooder and 41 eggs in the incubator. But this broody...my husband has been dying for one!!

So....the nest boxes are just above waist high in the coop. Too high for babies for sure. I have a corner of the Mob's run sectioned off with a small coop in it....plenty big for a broody hen that wants some privacy to hatch her eggs. Plus, it is a place that she will be able to have them out in once they hatch and still be safe.

When do I move her?
How do I move her (without battle scars)?
Move her first and then move her eggs? Move her and give her other fertile eggs to set on? How many? I have no idea how many she is on but she is in 'the' nest. Everyone wants to lay in there plus it is in the corner and is dark. (you can hardly see her)
I don't have to move her far but it is in the main run and I will have the rooster to contend with.....I know she will be squaking and that will certainly get her attention.
Capture the rooster first and put him in a crate before trying to move her? Makes sense as I don't want him getting aggressive with me because I move his girl.

AND.....I have an entire incubator that should hatch about the same time as these eggs.....could I put some of those babies in with what she hatches? How many can she handle?

Oh, my, what have I done???? My DH needs to come home and start building more coops and runs!!! Hey, where is gristar? She is the broody specialist. AND she lives in S. Arkansas.....I'll just take my broody to her!

 

[ScotianChick]

I've read on here that you set the whole place up first, get the eggs you want her to sit on ready and then move her very carefully and gently at night.

 

[bburn]

She is up in that nest pretty good. They are commercial nest boxes. I have the corner pen and coop ready except I need to go in and work it over and have it ready for chicks to be in it. A small coop is in there already.

 

[ScotianChick]

Well she should settle back down on them pretty easy. I am having my first broody experiences (and don't want them) and every time I pick Go-Go up and put her on the ground, she stays in EXACTLY the same position as she was on the nest. Even if it's the wet ground. She isn't even sitting on real eggs. They're in her imagination.

 

[bburn]

Quote:
Oh, how sad for GOGO. I am just assuming there are eggs under this chicken because that is THE nest for the rest of the girls. Will have to see. I will be ready. If there are no eggs under her....or if just a couple....I will pull the ones under her and put fertile eggs under her and hopefully she won't know the difference. Actully, I am good with just three or four.

Want some fertile eggs? LOL