Moving A Broody Hen’s Nest

[Prince and Pavo]

Hello! I have a hen that is currently broody. I have not put any eggs under her yet, because I am not comfortable with where she is nesting. Right now she is trying to set on the ground under a bush, outside the run/chicken yard, where she could easily be killed by a predator (coyote, most likely). I want to move her to to a waterproofed cardboard box with bedding in the coop, but since it’s such a drastic change I’m not sure if she would recognize the nest, much less continue to sit on it. I’ve always heard that hens will still accept it if you move her at night and as quickly and gently as possible, but I’m just not sure… This kinda seems like it’d be a little bit different somehow. I really want to make sure she stays broody so if I give her eggs in the box and move it into the coop, would that work or would she just try to go back to the original spot? Or worse, would she not care about hatching eggs anymore?

 

[Prince and Pavo]

Actually, she is sitting on two eggs. She had been laying eggs there for about a week or two before she stopped laying and started setting. I know this sounds absolutely terrible, but I’m planning on culling those two eggs. (She’s been incubating for only a day or two, and I only realized she was broody when I saw her sitting on that nest last night when I went to close the coop.) I want to get rid of them and give her new eggs to incubate because I want them all to hatch at the same time. Also, I only have one mature rooster, which is a silkie and I haven’t ever seen him mount her, so I’m not even sure if her eggs are fertilized. Any advice or recommendations would be appreciated.

 

[Franklinridgefarms]

When I move mine, I’ve found it works best to move them at night and keep it dark when you move them. Cover with a towel or something and take them and place them on the new nest with eggs already there. Keep it dark and in a small enclosed area. Then if you see that she is settled in and staying on the nest you can open it back up some. I actually boarded up a frame around the nest box with just a little area outside of it to keep light out overnight, and removed some of the boarding the next day once I was confident that the hens had taken to their new nests.

 

[Prince and Pavo]

Thanks for your reply! I think I will try that. I have a small cage I am trying to use specifically for broodies, but my other hens like to go in there and lay their eggs. I will put her in there and shut the door so that they can’t go in there anymore LOL.

 

[ellen60]

I have a first time broody mamma, a Blue Partridge Brahma, and she is on 6 good eggs. I candled them on days 7 & 10 and there is movement in 5. But she is box on wall, over 2 feet high.
I tried placing her on the eggs in a nice enclosed , upside down Rubbermaid container on the floor that has a hole cut out of the side. I blocked the hole by placing it against the wall and putting a large rock against it. In a few hours she was back in the box on the wall ☹ Determined.
I tried 3 times to do this. I finally gave her eggs back to her in box on wall.
Not sure what to do now.

 

[Franklinridgefarms]

I have a first time broody mamma, a Blue Partridge Brahma, and she is on 6 good eggs. I candled them on days 7 & 10 and there is movement in 5. But she is box on wall, over 2 feet high.
I tried placing her on the eggs in a nice enclosed , upside down Rubbermaid container on the floor that has a hole cut out of the side. I blocked the hole by placing it against the wall and putting a large rock against it. In a few hours she was back in the box on the wall ☹ Determined.
I tried 3 times to do this. I finally gave her eggs back to her in box on wall.
Not sure what to do now.

I once had an Orpington that went to sitting in a wall mount nest box. She would get off the nest and forget which box she was supposed to be in, so I fastened her in with screen wire over the opening of the nest box. I would then get her in and out a couple times a day to eat and drink and put her back. Wasn’t ideal, as the hen and chicks will have to be moved out of that high nest as soon after hatch as possible to keep them from falling out and or being killed by other hens.
Have you tried moving the hen to the new nest after dark?

 

[ellen60]

I once had an Orpington that went to sitting in a wall mount nest box. She would get off the nest and forget which box she was supposed to be in, so I fastened her in with screen wire over the opening of the nest box. I would then get her in and out a couple times a day to eat and drink and put her back. Wasn’t ideal, as the hen and chicks will have to be moved out of that high nest as soon after hatch as possible to keep them from falling out and or being killed by other hens.
Have you tried moving the hen to the new nest after dark?

It was during the day. I will try again tonight after dark.
Prayers it works.
And yes, silly bird has forgotten twice now which box she is setting in. I watch out the kitchen window for her to take her breaks, which are more frequent now that weather is warmer, and as soon as she pops back into the coop door I check my spy camera to see if she is on the correct nest. Silly birds.
God gave them plenty of instinct but no brains.