moving boody hen

[thebanthams]

I have a broody hen , this is the second time she is trying to hatch her babies (other hens killed them) She is due next week, can I move her in a safe place? or will she be upset and forget sitting on it? I tried blocking her, but they still get them

 

[RoosterAddict99]

Well, you probably shouldn't keep her with the other chickens, the future chicks might get trampled. I'd move her. In the future, if she goes broody, you could move her in the beginning (if you have the space) because it might be less stressful for the hen. I've had hens go broody lots of times but, have never let them hatch thier chicks so, I am in no way an expert, that is just my opinion. Good luck!!!

 

[cochins1088]

I have moved mine at that point before, and have never had a problem. Do you have any large dog kennels or such? Thats all I use, I make a nest in the back and put food and water by the cage door. I grab her and her eggs, putting the eggs in the nest first, she then runs right in and makes it "hers" This is the only way I get sucessful broodies, otherwise like you siad, the other hens cause problems. I also keep them separte for the first 3 weeks after the chciks hatch in a 6 by 8 foot pen.

 

[Rachel'sFlock]

I have a broody hen , this is the second time she is trying to hatch her babies (other hens killed them) She is due next week, can I move her in a safe place? or will she be upset and forget sitting on it? I tried blocking her, but they still get them

I have never tried to move a broody so far into the process, but I keep mine in a partitioned off space below the nest boxes with enough room for the nest, her food and water and space to walk around and stretch (and poo the most horrid poos known to PooDom). When I move her and the eggs (usually immediately after I have determined that she is committed to setting) I keep some of the original nesting material, build a new nest area from it, and place the eggs gently inside. Then I locate the food and water on a board. Then I place Mum inside the enclosure and close her in. Once she finds her eggs in the new nest, she makes it her own, and sits back down, perhaps after a bite to eat and another nasty poo.
This late in, your hen should be anxious to return to her eggs.
Best of luck to you!

 

[Chica Lady]

I have moved a hen with eggs under her. The hen was originally in a converted rabbit hutch. I put a door on the side where the rabbit sleeps. She used this as a nest box. I built the new pen with plans to move them in there. I bought a cat litter pan. Put her and the eggs in it with some nesting material, and walked them over to the new pen. She continued to sit on the eggs. This is the only time I have done it.

 

[Chefswifey]

Set up an area where she cant see the orinal coop/nesting box, and the other hens can't see her...you want it to be a dark low draft area. I dont know what it is but for some reason all my hens want to lay their eggs wherever the broody is. Anyway, move her and her eggs at night and she wont even know you did it ... a nest on the ground is best, this allows the chicks ease of access...

Honeystly I have an 8'x8' chainlink dog kennel that i lean t1-11 on the sides and lace boards accross the top then I put extra linoleum flooring on top of the boards with bricks to weigh that down... sounds like a contraption but the hen loves it and this way another hen can't sneak in and for the most part its weather safe for my neck of the woods. for extra darkness I placed a moving blanket over the front. The other hens know she's in there and still attempt to get in but I sealed up all the holes and hopefully soon they'll give up.

 

[Rachel'sFlock]

x2 on the dark, ground level place.
Yeahhh, what is it about those other hens wanting to lay in with them?
Before I moved my broody from Primo nesting box to the broody pen, they sat on her to lay in there. Since then, not one egg in that nest.

 

[thebanthams]

This morning I picked up the box with her and the eggs, Boy was she MAD!!! I moved her to another spot she got out and had a fit!, But she was able to go out and go potty and eat. I put her back in the box, so far she trying to adjust. I counted 12 eggs ! She is due 3 more days or so.

 

[AmanaHenHouse]

I always move my broody hens to their own small pen, partly because she is not pleasant to be around for any of the rest of the flock, they all genuinely irritate her but I don't want them casing her too much stress or injuring the chick when they hatch. I always wait until dark and move her a night when they mostly sleeping, although still mad about it she settles on the eggs fast and wakes up in the morning adjusted to her new home and seems more concerned with her eggs than the change in location

 

[AmanaHenHouse]

I have moved them with young chicks like this too. I try to move them within the first couple of days from hatch while the chicks are still close to the nest and less actively foraging.