Move the Broody in with Month Old Chicks?

[BuddyAndBeanFarm]

Hi everyone! This is my first post. We have a black Cochin named Black Boots (BB) who has gone broody so many times I’m finally letting her hatch some chicks. She’s set up shop on the floor of the coop and everything has been fine until this past week — the rest of our hens have either gone on strike or are laying elsewhere, though I’ve searched high and low and can’t find any eggs laid in random places.

My husband has a low tolerance for laying disruptions, and I don’t blame him. We eat a lot of eggs. So I’m considering moving BB to a separate area. The problem is the only place I can really put her is our secondary little coop, which is currently home to ten 1-month-old chicks. She’s a very determined broody so I’m not that concerned about her abandoning the eggs (and truth be told, we have those 10 chicks on deck anyway) but my main question is — could she potentially harm the chicks? She pecks at me but she hasn’t been aggressive toward the flock. I keep catching the polish hen trying to lay eggs on top of her.

Her eggs aren’t due to hatch until June 30th. Any advice would be great!

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC. Most broody hens become very defensive of their 'territory' when they have chicks, and she might hurt the young birds in your brooder. I would guess that the drop in production from your layers is coincidental to her broodiness not caused by it.

 

[Rooster G]

I would put her with them. They will adjust fine.

 

[chickens really]

It's doubtful that the Broody Hen is the cause of lack in egg production. Many other things can cause that, temperature, spooks, nutrition, hidden eggs around the yard..

 

[Ridgerunner]

Welcome to the forum, glad you joined.

How many hens and missing eggs are you talking about? It sounds like the polish is still laying at least. Are others? How big a disruption is it? How long has it been going on?

It is highly unlikely the broody is the problem. Have you checked under her to see if she is hiding the missing eggs? How big is that brooder room? You can try moving her if you wish, it is possible but unlikely she'll harm the chicks if they have a fair amount of room. If it is tight the risk goes up. Can you build a pen in there so she is isolated from the chicks?

The most common cause of hens stopping or reducing laying is that they are molting. Have you seen a bunch of feathers floating around?

Another big cause is the hens hiding a nest from you. I know you've been on a search.

It's possible something is taking the eggs. Most egg thieves leave signs behind but I'm not sure where you are or what the possible culprits could be. The common critters that take eggs without leaving a sign are snakes, canines, or humans but you may have something different. A snake usually eats a few eggs and disappears for a few days to digest them before coming back for more. If it is a consistent drop it is not a snake.

Most canines would be more interested in your chickens than the eggs. Does a dog have access? I'll let you assess the human potential.

In extreme weather, hot or cold, some chickens reduce production. Other forms of stress can cause a drop. That could be a change to where they live like a new coop or coop modifications, a change in the pecking order by adding or removing a chicken, a predator scare, a change in lighting conditions, running out of water for a day or two, or who knows what else.

So what can yo do? Maybe discreetly mark a couple of eggs and leave them down there to see if they disappear. That would tell you that something is getting them. Can you lock the hens in the coop/run for a few days to see if egg production goes up? That would tell you that they are either hiding a nest or that you locked an egg thief out. If you see a hen pacing with her legs crossed and desperate to get out she's probably hiding a nest from you. For the stress stuff, probably patience.

Good luck, these things are often not easy.