Move a Broody Hen???

[zinkie]

Hello, So I have a hen who just went broody. She is in one of the favorite nests. I feel like I should move her. I have 10 girls and she is in 1 of the fav 3 nesting spots. I live in NH and it is still pretty cold here. My coop is about 20 or above and have used a heat lamp to help warm it up a bit. The coop is in the barn and the barn is not heated.

My question is... if I move her, my only option is in the cellar. I want to give her a quiet place.... but will she be lonely... and will it be harder to get her back in? If it was warmer, I could set something up in the barn, but it is too cold right now.

Any thoughts?

 

[mindylee]

Do you by chance have qnother broody?

I always move my broodys in pairs or more to a birthing coop away from the rest of the flock. They always settle right in and do great. However I never had a single broody... always 10+ at once... so no shortages rou d here.

 

[LRH97]

I always move my broody, whether I have one or more. The single ones I have moved have always done alright and hatched out many clutches of chicks. She will mainly be concerned about hatching those eggs. I would take her out at least once to scratch around and dust bathe,however . Oh and make sure you have a place that you don't mind for her to use the bathroom on if you're putting her in the cellar, because you don NOT want her to go in the nest; it will be a gigantic mess.

 

[zinkie]

NO, I do not have another broody one. When you move them... are you close to the others or very far away?
My big worry is moving her to the house away from the rest. Will it be hard to reintroduce her and the chicks?

 

[LRH97]

I introduce new birds all the time. Even though she's not new, the rest of the flock will view her as a new bird. I would wait until the chicks are at least fully feathered to even try to introduce them. After a few squabbles, everything should settle down, you'll just have to keep a close eye on things for a while.