MOVING A BROODY HEN

[Glenda L Heywood]

MOVING A BROODY HEN
Randy Henry California

I recieved this email and then ask Randy Henry to
write me his method:
My broody Hen is on day 12 of the incubation period.
She's with my other hens in one of the nest boxes, but
I would like to move her to a brooder pen at some
point. When should I do it?
\\
The choice is to do it now or at some point before the
expected hatch date, or wait till the chicks have
hatched? Then I would have to place some kind of
partition to the pen to seperate her from the others
at hatching time.

How about moving her a day or two before there's
movement in the eggs & perhaps less chance of nest
desertion? Has any one moved broody hens with what
results?

Randy Henry reolied:
I have moved a least 100 broody hens over the yrs, &
the following method has worked 100% of the time.

Get two cardboard boxes of an appropriate size to
accomodate the hen to be moved. They(the two boxes)
should nest(go) one inside of the other, one is a
bottom or nest proper, the other for a lid to cover
the nest with.

Cut an entry/exit opening in the box you choose for
the bottom, then nest it with straw or shavings, or
better yet, both, by lining with straw then back
filling the straw with shavings.

Place her eggs in the nest, put her on them, put the
top of the box over her & move her to where ever you
want her to be. Do this at night. leave her undercover
all that night, all the next day, & uncover her the
next night, late enough so she won't get off the nest.


Have fresh water & feed available for her when she
gets off the nest the next morning. When she wakes up,
she will think she has always been there. There should
be as little light inside the box as possible without
sufficating the hen.

If you feel you have to put air holes in the box,
cover with a cloth of some sort to keep out the light.
Chickens can only count to 2, after two nights, she
will be well settled in her new location.

Next time this comes up, move your hens asap after
they start to set. Once she has hatched off her brood,
you can move her anywhere you want her, to raise her
chicks.

After she is finished with the nest, toss the nest
box in the trash or burn it. No worries ever about
contamination. Happy hatching Randy Henry

 

[Ridgerunner]

Thanks for the post. Expect it to be refered to a lot.

 

[Pumpkinpup]

Terriffic idea! Thanks for sharing!

 

[RioLindoAz]

Thats exactly how I do it!

This is how I remove a broody from the old nest into her new box nest:

At night, have a nest prepared and take it with you inside the coop. It should be dark out. Then, gently lift her from the nest, if posible, pick her up in a way that her feet don't dangle in the air. Just make sure she is not turned sideways. Then gently nestle her inside the new nesting box. Grab her eggs and try to put them under her, if you prefer not to, thats fine, you can just put them next to her. Take the nest box to the designated area you chose to put her. Remember, broody hens turn their eggs every 15 minutes around the clock, so when she sences them near her, she will tuck them under her.

Here is a pic of the type of boxes I use.