Moving a broody bantam

[yoopergirl1211]

Hi! Sorry if there is already a thread for this. I have to leave for work and I don't have much time to search. I have a 1 year old mixed spangled broody girl who decided to make her nest in the favorite nesting box for my RIRs. It is starting to be a problem. My question is how do I go about moving her and eggs. We just had to take out a RIR that wouldn't stop stepping on her head and blocked off all doors to the coop so only the broody bantam and a broody Muscovy are in there. The other chickens have other places to lay eggs. I have a big cage I can use to put her in but I don't want to break her of it on accident. Is it enough to have her watch me move eggs into cage and put her in with them. I don't think I have to lock her in there just move her out of favorite box. Thanks for any input!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I personally have had no luck moving a broody hen. They will return to their chosen spot whether there are eggs or not. Some people have had luck using a crate to confine them, but I personally have not.

 

[BlueShadow]

I have only had a few broody hens, but I have moved all of them. Our nest boxes are metal and don't hold much bedding at all, so I worried that the eggs would not incubate properly in them. Each time I would make a nice nest box from a cardboard box, make it comfy with lots of bedding, and then moved the broody hen. I know that I have not always moved them at night. I did not move the nest box far, it stayed close to where she had been. I also did not give them their good hatching eggs until I knew they were going to stay in the new location (usually after a day or so). Perhaps it was just beginners luck.

 

[BIggoMamma]

I moved mine but I was warned it would not work. I just took a chance. Bantams love to sit on eggs, I have also read that sitting mama hens like it dark and private, and to cover their nesting area using duct tape or glue or something with a black veil or lace type cloth to give them the illusion of privacy as they are sitting. keep that in mind with whatever you move them into. Also, I did not make a bunch of trips back and forth with the hen I did it in front of the nesting box, I put her and the eggs (and 3 chicks that hatched out earlier than the rest) all at once as quickly as possible. I put a crate in front of the nesting box with a nest already in it I made out of pine shavings and did it quickly. The crate was about 2 and a half feet by three feet. She did just fine. That does not mean yours will. I would just lock the other chickens out and make them go in another area and leave her alone.

 

[clamccauley]

I moved a broody Welsumer without even thinking about it breaking her. She had been sitting on her "fake" eggs for 2 weeks and we wanted to move her to a smaller crate on the ground before giving her day old chicks to raise. I just popped her out of the box one afternoon and set her by her water bowl. She puffed up at me and wasn't happy, but got a drink while I scooped up her nest (hay and eggs both) and put them in a different pen. I placed her in there so she could see them and locked her in. She paced a bit so I left her alone to settle. I went back out a hour later and she had moved her eggs from where I placed them, but was sitting on them again. She stayed on them for the next week, so we went ahead and gave her some chicks last week and she took them in just fine. I'm glad I didn't mess up her broodiness by doing that! Beginners luck maybe?!

 

[bobbi-j]

There is not a one-size-fits-all answer to this question. It depends a lot on the hen. I have had mixed results with moving hens. I had one BO that had been on her nest for over a week before I found her. She was tight on that nest, but in a very vulnerable place where predators could easily have gotten to her. So, I made her a pen in a shed, made a nice nesting box for her, moved her at night with little commotion, all that. When I went to check on her in the morning, she was frantic, off the nest, and several of the eggs had been broken. I had her for a couple more years, but she never went broody again. I had a little bantam hen who would stay on the nest wherever I put her. My current broody absolutely insists on setting in HER spot. Last year it was in the favorite nest box, so that was kind of a problem. This year she's in a corner on the floor that no one else cares about. The only way to know if it will work is to try it. I would recommend doing it at night if you do move her.

 

[aart]

When I had a broody I wanted to let hatch...I moved her into sectioned off area with fake eggs in a portable floor nest.
She threw a fit for half a day then settled onto nest, after she stuck with it for another day and night I replaced fake eggs with fresh fertile ones.

 

[yoopergirl1211]

Thanks everyone. It is my first time with a broody so I'm nervous. I'm thinking about taking the whole box off shelf and moving it off to a corner. Shes sitting on her own eggs and some from her sister. The roo is frizzled and I'd love to get babies from them. Here she is in her box. The Muscovy is also broody. I have never had broodies and now I have 3 Muscovy and this little hen.

Just keeping everyone out for now but will make up my mind today and post what happens. I appreciate everyones input

 

[bobbi-j]

Moving the whole box is a great idea. I'd still do it sat night with as little commotion as possible. Maybe put something over the top of the box in case she gets nervous.