In Need of Broody 101....

You can separate if you wish. Some do, some don't. If you don't, mark the eggs with a Sharpie as others may steal them or lay their own in the same box. Then check every day and remove any unmarked ones. Collect the eggs on your kitchen counter that you want her to hatch then place them under her all at once so they will hatch more or less all at once. Once they start hatching, she will set on them for maybe 24 hours then leave the nest and unhatched eggs to raise her brood. Of course if you get enougfh eggs in one day to set under her, you don't need to collect them. If you separate her, a covered kitty litter box would be ok, but it would be better if she had room to get off the nest and eat, drink, poop, maybe forage a little or dust bathe. Ideal is a section of a larger coop, inside the coop, maybe 4' X 4'. No heat lamp needed; mama will keep both the eggs and the chicks warm.

I had a broody who always got off the nest when I went to the coop. She would stay off for 10 or 20 or 30 minutes, then go back. The eggs hatched fine. Sometimes another hen will get on the eggs while the broody is getting her exercise. If this happens, you need to hang around long enough to see the broody re-claim her nest and eggs. Usually a broody does this once a day. Occasionally you get one who never gets off. You can tell because then she will poop in the nest. If you have one of those, you need to take her off every day, and chase at her or disturb her enough to get her eating, etc.


Here's an excellent article about broodies:

http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/Broody-Hens-1.html

I believe the article says to separate them. I don't because they grow up integrated, I don't have to do it separately, 4 months later.