Is it safe to move a nest?

[Duhonmommie]

I have a broody hen sitting on a nest of eggs (4) that were laid on a shelf in my goat barn. I'm worried that when the chicks hatch they'll fall and be killed. She only began sitting last Wednesday (6/1/22) so it's quite a new nest. If I move it to a safer location, i.e. a stall or even the floor under the shelf or into a milk crate on the floor, will she follow and continue to sit on the nest or will I mess everything up? Broody hen is an Olive Egger, if that matters. TIA

 

[Buckingham Palace]

If she properly broody she should just sit again. But there is a chance that she won’t sit again and will leave the nest. It would be best to move her. is there away you could close her in on the shelf. Maybe with wire?

 

[Duhonmommie]

If she properly broody she should just sit again. But there is a chance that she won’t sit again and will leave the nest. It would be best to move her. is there away you could close her in on the shelf. Maybe with wire?

It's not that big a shelf. Would she be ok like that until they hatch in about 15 days? It's only about 2.5-3 feet by 1 foot. But yes, I could probably close her in that way.

 

[Buckingham Palace]

It's not that big a shelf. Would she be ok like that until they hatch in about 15 days? It's only about 2.5-3 feet by 1 foot. But yes, I could probably close her in that way.

You could leave them if you keep a very close eye on her. She will only get of the nest about a day after they have hatched.

 

[Duhonmommie]

You could leave them if you keep a very close eye on her. She will only get of the nest about a day after they have hatched.

What should I do with the chicks when they hatch to make sure they don't get hurt? I don't have a camera in the barn.

 

[Buckingham Palace]

What should I do with the chicks when they hatch to make sure they don't get hurt? I don't have a camera in the barn.

Once all the eggs have hatched you can move her to where you are going to keep them once they have hatched.

 

[Mrs. K]

You really don't need to do anything. Mine always nest at 3 feet above ground, and they always get the chicks down unhurt. They are fluff balls, with small masses, and can drop much greater distances with not problems. I have read of them even coming down out of a hay mow, that was over 12 feet off the ground. The owner didn't even know she was there, and came in as the last chick came down and all were fine and followed their mama off.

I have tried to move a hen twice with losses both times. My chicken ignored the lovely new, obviously better nest that I created, and left the eggs and went back to the nest she liked best.

My grandfather, an esteemed cattle man, once told me, "that a cow knows more about being a cow, than he ever will." I do along with that same idea with chickens. I would leave her be.

Mrs K

 

[Yardmom]

Will the eggs stay on the shelf? If so the chicks should be fine. If not, yes you can move a broody. It works best if you can lock them where they can not get back to the old nest. I use a large dog crate inside the coop. Some hens immediately settle on the new spot and others take a few hours. I usually give new eggs at transfer. If they were special eggs I would wait until she settles on fake eggs. I have given the eggs the hen already started as well. I have never had a broody hen break due to a move. Sometimes especially the first days I need to place them back in the crate after a break because they return to the original nest site.