Moving a broody hen and eggs

[Allisonbrizburk]

Broody hens imprint on the location, not the eggs. If you move one you need a cage that she cannot get out of with a nest, food, and water and not much more room. Plan on leaving her in there until she hatches.

Some broody hens will accept that move and some won't. I find it works better if the new nest is kind of dark. Moving at night seems to work better plus in your situation she'd probably be easier to catch at night. It can help if you leave her locked in that nest only most of the next day. It's dark and it seems to help them accept the move.

I don't know if she is back on her old nest. She has only been broody for a week so you have time. If she is on her old nest prepare a cage with a nest and such, put a few sacrificial eggs in the new nest, and lock her in there tonight. Start collecting fertile eggs you want her to hatch, no more than 12. 21 is way too many. If she accepts the move replace the two or three sacrificial eggs with what you have collected and start the countdown. Or you can put all you want her to hatch in that nest to start with. If she accepts the move let her hatch them. If she doesn't accept the move you can probably still eat them but you might consider them sacrificial. The important thing is that all the eggs start incubation at the same time.

It did not go well. I feel horrible and worried I ruined a broody hen. Hopefully she'll try again but I learned a lot through this. I don't think I'll try moving them again.

 

[Vickischics]

It did not go well. I feel horrible and worried I ruined a broody hen. Hopefully she'll try again but I learned a lot through this. I don't think I'll try moving them again.

You didn't ruin a Broody hen. Her hormones got messed up with the move and anxiety and she's just not Broody anymore. She'll go Broody again next when her hormones call.
You'll also read on here how to break a Broody by putting them in a "Broody Jail"!
It can be hard on the ol gals body when a hen is Broody.
That was a lot of eggs she was sitting on and tending too outside of confinement. The results would have not gone well anyway with all the predators you mentioned.