MJ's little flock

[MaryJanet]

I used to move broody hens from the nest box in my house to a matenity coop with a small enclosed run on a regular basis. I also moved hens from outside nests to more secure nests in coops.
Moving hens from outside nests worked best if done at night. The advantage is they are locked in for some hours and most settle on their eggs eventually. Occaasionaly a hen would return to her original nest site the next day, but most took to the new site without problems.
Moving from my hoouse nest site during the day did pose some problems with the hen returning to the house nest box and just sitting in an empty nest. Sometimes it took a few goes of picking the hen up and dumping her back in the new nest site. I think I spent a morning doing this with a couple of broodies before they settled. I've had a couple that just abandoned the eggs and wold not accept the new site but this was rare.
Moving at the begining of a sit.
I tried to wait for three days. This period is where the egg turning is critical for preventing the embryo from sticking to the inside of the shell. Most moves after three days wait were successful.
Moving on day 17 to a site where the hatchlings would have access to natural ground from day one was never a problem.
Moving on the day the hen showed she had finished hatching was never a problem either.

My experience moving Mary a couple of nights ago is consistent with your experience.

It's not dark yet, so I haven't tried moving her yet, but I will in a couple of hours.

 

[MaryJanet]

It was a warm day, so I've taken the cue and put up some shade in the form of old bed sheets that are now used for catching drips when painting.

The hens and cat were curious but didn't mind.

 

[MaryJanet]

Well, I moved Mary and placed her on the fake eggs. As usual, she snuggled down into the straw. Then I removed the floor from the nest box and pushed the straw out, then I put the floor back. I'm curious to see where she's sitting in the morning.

 

[MaryJanet]

Mary stayed in the roosting section overnight. I wonder if that's where she'll be when I get home later on.

 

[MaryJanet]

It was a long drive from work, but I've got Mary's eggs!

 

[MaryJanet]

Mary stayed in the roosting section overnight. I wonder if that's where she'll be when I get home later on.

She was in the roosting section and there was a new broody poop so I know she got up today.

 

[MaryJanet]

If you collect the eggs on Tuesday, you should store the eggs point down and wait another day before you replace the fake eggs.

Just confirming the eggs are point down in their box and I'll wait until this time tomorrow before giving them to Mary.

 

[MaryJanet]

Unboxing the eggs was a delight!

@Perris you were asking about the colour of the Welsummer eggs. These seem quite dark to me. If a pullet hatches and goes on to lay eggs this colour, I'll be able to tell them apart from Katie's and she's the only other layer of dark brown eggs. And the choc orpington eggs are tiny!

 

[Perris]

Unboxing the eggs was a delight!

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@Perris you were asking about the colour of the Welsummer eggs. These seem quite dark to me. If a pullet hatches and goes on to lay eggs this colour, I'll be able to tell them apart from Katie's and she's the only other layer of dark brown eggs. And the choc orpington eggs are tiny!

yes they look lovely. I don't know if you are as nerdy as me re: keeping records, but I like to weigh them before giving to the broody. I no longer monitor during the incubation, but it's a guide to what sort of size eggs any pullets that hatch from them might lay.

Also, I don't know if you've thought about this at all, but if the bantam eggs are significantly smaller, you may want to give them to Mary a day later than you give the Welsumers, to try to avoid a staggered hatch (big eggs take longer than small eggs; there's more material to generate). That advice is based just on what I've read in old handbooks on hatching; I've not had bantams myself and I try to set eggs of similar size because of said advice.

 

[MaryJanet]

yes they look lovely. I don't know if you are as nerdy as me re: keeping records, but I like to weigh them before giving to the broody. I no longer monitor during the incubation, but it's a guide to what sort of size eggs any pullets that hatch from them might lay.

Also, I don't know if you've thought about this at all, but if the bantam eggs are significantly smaller, you may want to give them to Mary a day later than you give the Welsumers, to try to avoid a staggered hatch (big eggs take longer than small eggs; there's more material to generate). That advice is based just on what I've read in old handbooks on hatching; I've not had bantams myself and I try to set eggs of similar size because of said advice.

Thanks! I'll hold the bantam eggs back for an extra day.

I'm not particularly interested in the weight of the eggs though. Eggs are mostly for my weekend breakfasts or to give away to family and friends, so no one cares how big they are.