Keeping a hen broody?

[ColonelAstroid]

We have a hen who is broody and we want her to stay that way, but all our layer bins are slanted to stop egg eaters. She's not the egg eater, and we do have one bin that is not slanted. So we put her in there and she sat there awhile, but when we checked a little later, there were two eggs there, and she was in the slanted bin again. I don't know if we should move her to the chicken tractor and put something in there for her to lay in, or just leave her. We want her to hatch more than one egg, but don't know if it is okay to put more eggs underneath her. If we can put more eggs under her, how and when is the best time to do this? Is she going to stay broody if we move her around?

PS: She is a Buff Orpington, don't know if that matters or not!

 

[enola]

She needs to be separated from the other hens. The tractor sounds like a good idea to me. She can cover several eggs.

 

[ColonelAstroid]

how many is several?

 

[5 Acre Rooster]

I would say around 8 minimum. I had a BA go broody last year and I left her with 12 eggs. She hatched all but 2. 1 was a dud and the other she rolled out because it rotted, so I think a dud also. Whatever she can cover completely and keep warm, some BO's can cover as many as 15, but it depends on her size, and if she will take that many.

 

[ColonelAstroid]

OK, well we put her in the chicken tractor, and she did nothing. We put an egg in there with her, and she didn't sit on it. When we put her back in the pen with the other chickens, she went to the slanted layer box,laid a egg and proceeded to sit on it.What Now? She's a pretty stubborn chicken.

 

[McCoysOrps]

OK, well we put her in the chicken tractor, and she did nothing. We put an egg in there with her, and she didn't sit on it. When we put her back in the pen with the other chickens, she went to the slanted layer box,laid a egg and proceeded to sit on it.What Now? She's a pretty stubborn chicken. 

They know when to sit give her like 12 eggs and let her sit in the tractor!

 

[enola]

If she REALLY wants to sit she will sit anywhere.

If she was mine I would put her and another hen in the tractor and leave them there. If she has company she may calm down and go to the nest and stay there. Once she has stayed on the nest all day and all night for a few days you can put the other hen back in the coop.

 

[valeriaclark]

so if a chicken is sitting for a few hours and leaves the eggs will some still hatch or do they have to sit constantly

 

[enola]

A hen has to stay on the eggs all day and all night, with only a break once a day to poop and grab a bite to eat and a few sips of water, for 21 days in a row.

If I have a hen that is serious about going broody, I dust her with an insecticide and worm her with Safeguard. I try to keep her as healthy as  possible. I also make sure her nest is pest free by thoroughly cleaning the nest box, sprinkling some dusting powder in the nest , then putting in new/clean bedding.

 

[McCoysOrps]

so if a chicken is sitting for a few hours and leaves the eggs will some still hatch or do they have to sit constantly

Yes sitting constantly is key