Moving a setting hen?

[Cass]

I had to move a hen today. Didn't know I should do at night. Moved the eggs into the coop and then hen but she keeps leaving and going back to old nest (which is outside and not safe) help will she eventually sit on them? How long can the eggs survive without being set upon?

No, she won't move until it is dark. They can survive a few hours without her in this weather. When it gets dark, move her onto her eggs again. If possible cover her with something so she doesn't see a way out of where she is. (I have used a laundry basket and a cardboard box with holes in it for air circulation for this purpose) Of course it depends on where you put her what you can use to keep her there. Some have bent chicken wire over the nest box to keep the momma in place when moving a setting hen. The chicken wire only works if you are home all day and can remove it for short periods of time for her to get up and drink,eat and poo. Eventually she might stay....but moving them at night is key to sucessfully relocation of a broody hen. They wake up in the morning in a different place and shake their head "Oh, this must be where I was, cuz it's where I woke up". (Remember they have bird brains, so very little memory beyond instinct)

 

[GardengirlVT]

Okay we'll now she is back in the coop but on the roost with the others not on the eggs. Tried to cover with towel. Didn't like that a got out. So... Maybe she will go back to the eggs maybe not. Just would love a bunch of babies. Thank you for your insight.

 

[Cass]

Okay we'll now she is back in the coop but on the roost with the others not on the eggs. Tried to cover with towel. Didn't like that a got out. So... Maybe she will go back to the eggs maybe not. Just would love a bunch of babies. Thank you for your insight.

A true broody hen, not just one that is too tired to walk away from the place she laid her egg that day, has plucked almost all their feathers from their chest area. If a hen has done that you are not going to break her from setting (at least, not without a LOT of effort on your part) My opinion is the easiest way to break a broody hen is to let her hatch some eggs. Works EVERY time. Most other methods of breaking a broody don't work overly well,nor as consistantly as allowing them to hatch some eggs.

Because you WANT a broody she is roosting again. Doesn't that just figure. LOL She may go back to setting, but I wouldn't consider her truely broody until she has sat for 5 days 24 hours a day and plucked out her chest feathers.