Move a broody at lock down?

[pattgal]

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I don't know if I'm reading this right, so Ignore it if I'm wrong
If you are saying that other hens are laying in the same nestbox as your broody hen. it is not a good Idea. I just lost a whole hatch for that reason

Sometimes it's another hen laying in the broody nest, and sometimes it's the broody stealing from other nests. They will tuck the egg under their "chin" and carry it if they can't roll it. When my broodies hatched in the coop with the flock, I had to remove someone else's egg almost daily.

the problem with mine is all the hens would lay in the box she chose to brood in. So there would be ~8 eggs beside her all the time. She would just keep rolling in new ones everyday. So I would constantly get surprises in the kitchen

 

[Judy]

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That's why I keep a Sharpie in the coop.

 

[pattgal]

Quote:
That's why I keep a Sharpie in the coop.

live and learn, Wouldn't a sharpie be too strong for the egg though?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I've been marking with a sharpie also, so I know which ones are hers and which ones someone else is depositing in her nest box. My broodies have always hatched in the coop with the rest of the flock, so ya'll have a separate coop for broodies? I don't have another place for them to go. so think i have decided to wait till a couple of days before hatch and go in at dusk and move her and the eggs to my small coop that has 2 orpingtons living in it now, they are my youngest now. I'll move them into the coop with the other chickens but in a large dog crate so they will be safe, then put my Brahma in their side of the coop. It's a duplex my muscovy duck lives in the other side, long story. anyway, that way I can keep her inside with her own food and water till after chicks hatch.. how does that sound ya'll?