Introducing pullets to 1 hen (that may be broody)

[AlliJackson]

Bear with me, as I am new to the chicken raising lifestyle. I have 1 cochin hen that is about a year old that I inherited (she is the only one that survived a hawk and dog attack). She recently started going broody and refuses to leave her nest. I've got 4 Easter eggs pullets (10 weeks old that are in my garage) that I want to introduce to the coop. What is the best way to move the pullets to the coop, with a hen that seems to have gone broody? I've got a metal crate/cage I can use but need advice on best. Thank you in advance!!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Hi welcome to the forum, glad you joined.

Do you want that hen to hatch eggs and raise chicks or do you want to break her from being broody?

What does your coop look like? How big is it in feet or meters? Same for your run, how big in feet or meters? Is your run predator proof? Photos of the overall set-up and especially of the inside of the coop could be helpful.

What do you want to happen and what do you have to work with?

 

[AlliJackson]

Hi welcome to the forum, glad you joined.

Do you want that hen to hatch eggs and raise chicks or do you want to break her from being broody?

What does your coop look like? How big is it in feet or meters? Same for your run, how big in feet or meters? Is your run predator proof? Photos of the overall set-up and especially of the inside of the coop could be helpful.

What do you want to happen and what do you have to work with?

Hi! The actual coop itself is 6ft x 8ft and the run is 40ft x 22ft. My hen has never breeded and we have no rooster. My hen is just starting to show broody behaviors (I take her out of the nesting box and she eats and drinks just fine and returns to the nesting box after a few minutes).
The pullets were purchased from a hatchery and I have no plan to breed any of them, as of right now.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'll assume you don't want her to hatch chicks. I'd set that crate in the coop, elevated maybe on bricks, so it has air under it. Give her food and water but nothing that looks like a nest. Leave her locked in there for a week. Usually three days is enough to break her form being broody, the extra time is for integration.

Turn the chicks loose in the coop only now. You want them to learn to sleep in there. When the hen's week is up, open the door to the run and let the hen out of the crate. See what happens. Things may go great or you may need to separate them for a while longer. With all the room you have for 5 chickens I think your chances are pretty good.

 

[aart]

I'd set that crate in the coop, elevated maybe on bricks, so it has air under it. Give her food and water but nothing that looks like a nest.

Something like this: