OK, so my attempt to move my broody hen to another cage was unsuccessful. She literlly spazzed so after 15 minutes I put her & her eggs back ino her nest box. She is going on day 11 now & has been very good about sitting on her eggs. Since she has ben there only 3 mystery eggs have shown up & the ones I was able to candle do have chicks forming in them. So my question is...what happens when they hatch....should I try to move her to the cage again? Will the other hens or rooster try to hurt her chicks? Will they fall out of the nest box & hurt themselves? This is where she is at now...the box closest to the window.
I say let Mother Nature, and Mother Hen take care of business. If she is a good mom, and it sounds like she has accepted the job, she will protect the chicks and act like a real nasty when any other bird/human/animal approaches. How far above ground are they nesting? Do they have ANY room to peep around? My worry would be that a chick falls out, and cant get back up to the box. If their box is high, you can put a couple hay bails in front so the will just fall a little and be able to hop back up. I am SO impressed with my broody mom. And is was all instinct, cause she was raised without ad adult hen.
My opinion is quite the opposite of above. If a broody hen with hatched chicks is in with other birds, there is a very likely chance those other birds will kill the babies. I always seperate them. ALWAYS.
Yes, there is a chance that feather will fly. BUT, if things go well the first several days, and mom is still very attentive, it is WAY easier than trying to reintroduce the pullets months later. IF it works, it is MUCH easier to let mom do it (with supervision).
You must move her at night and it goes much better if you do it with as little lighting as possible. I usually cut a small door from cardboard box and invert it over the new nest and even drape a towel over it to encourage her to stay on the nest for the following day. She won't move off the nest if you keep her in the dark. It's also good to move her somewhere quiet and dim, so she can feel like she is well hidden. When I move a hen, I usually wait until full dark, drape a towel over her whole body and get assistance in moving her eggs right along with her so there is no lapse in temp or humidity regulation. After that first day, towards evening I sneak into the broody pen and gently and slowly remove the towel from the box. This leaves her still in the dimness of the box but with a door from which to get out and get a drink/food if she so desires. After a few days, I usually remove the box altogether....especially if she is well settled into the new nesting area. Try it again using this method and see if it works!
