Is my almost hen broody? When will the eggs hatch?

[fluffycrow]

I am a notoriously bad crafter. You'd be much better off asking someone else. I do worry that constructing anything so close to the broody will stress her, however

 

[NatJ]

Yeah I’m guessing as much need to build or get something to make a fence around her what do you suggest? View attachment 3712433This is what my nest boxes look like there are ten.

Do you have a dog crate, or a small coop, or something of the sort?

You could set it up with bedding, food & water, a nest, and some fake eggs. Then after dark, put her in there on the fake eggs. If she stays happily there through the next day, you can give her real eggs to sit on. That will keep the other hens from kicking her off the nest, or adding eggs to her nest.

If she paces frantically back and forth and will not settle down on the new nest, you can just let her do that for 2-3 days, by which time she will have broken her own broodiness (that is not a bad thing, if she is currently being pestered by the other hens, and if it is not really a nice time of year for raising chicks. She will probaby go broody again within the next few months, so you will have another chance to let her raise chicks if you want.)

 

[BDutch]

I would count down from the day she started setting on them and keep counting until 21 days later because that's when they would have started incubating.
Hopefully all your chicks hatch safely.

Bamtam eggs only need 20 days. When its cold it can take up to 24 days.

I would mark the eggs with a pencil, to be sure no new eggs are laid in the nest without recognising them.

I the broody is confined to a separated space you can see if she has eaten and probably find a huge poop after she got of her nest. Make sure she can roam enough and give her something to dustbathe.

BTW, Where do you live ? I think it’s not the best season if you live in a rather cold climate on the northern hemisphere. I would break a broody this time of the year.

 

[Farmgirl283420]

So I have a problem she’s definitely broody but one hen kicks her off about once a day to lay and Amelia just goes to another nest that has eggs. She gets up in the morning eats and I found a big broody poop this morning. We have a small coop thing but it’s not water proof and i’d need another heater. So I would have to fix the roof. If I did use a dog kennel where would I put it? In the coop? Or the house? It rarely gets down to 20 degrees F where we live.

 

[Farmgirl283420]

This is the small coop I used it in the summer to introduce new my chicks when they grew up to my original flock. I took down the run and it just sits there now but I’d have to fix the roof if I could figure out how to do it.

 

[Farmgirl283420]

She also pulled feathers off her chest.

 

[fluffycrow]

View attachment 3712640
This is the small coop I used it in the summer to introduce new my chicks when they grew up to my original flock. I took down the run and it just sits there now but I’d have to fix the roof if I could figure out how to do it.

You could try and move her, but make it weather proof beforehand. I would rebuild this run, it looks like a great place to brood

 

[fluffycrow]

She also pulled feathers off her chest.

That is to be expected. She's progressing normally, but moving around every day is not good

 

[Farmgirl283420]

You could try and move her, but make it weather proof beforehand. I would rebuild this run, it looks like a great place to brood

Ok! One more thing the little spaces are big enough for a chick to slip through. I gave her her eggs that she left and she tucked them under her. I took one that looked odd though. Is it bad to lift her up to see how many she has then put her back on?

 

[Farmgirl283420]

If I remove her from the flock will she be lonely? When can I put her back in?