Moving broody hens

[Okiegent]

Hello Friends
I am new to your site. I have two broody MILLE FLUER hens. My question is would it be ok to move them out of the nest they are in and move them to a safer place. I have one in a nest that is about three and half feet off the ground, the other is in a pet carrier. I would like them to have more room and to be safe for new hatched chicks so they do not fall out.The one in the nest has to hop down and back up to poop and eat. She does not do that much.I love this site there is so much information. These hens have been setting about 13 days now.

 

[Okiegent]

Hello Friends

Here is a picture of my coop and pen. It is still in constuction. Always hahahah.You Can see the one little hen trying to get in the box with the other broody hen and set her eggs. Both these girls were trying to set there own eggs in the same nest and were doing quite well untill I moved them apart temporary. Now you see why I want to move them to a safer location hahaha to funny.

 

[Picco]

Moving a broody hen is tricky. If she just started to set don't move her for a few days so you can be sure she's devoted. My suggestion is to move the hen at night. This way she'll be less stressed. Make sure to make the new nesting area comfortable for her. Keep the actual nest box dark and quiet so she'll think its safe and won't get stressed. She should stay on her eggs when she wakes up but its no guarantee. For the hen in the pet carrier - move the entire carrier that way she'll still feel at home. Make sure you are there in the earlier morning when the moved hens wake up to see if they will stay. Keep your eye on them and if they don't want to stay your only option is to move them back to the old nests so the eggs don't chill. I think moving hens is important, especially if they are banties in a mixed flock. I didn't move my mille fleur last summer when she was setting and I entered the coop to find six dead chicks - killed by my standard hens. I was so mad. The poor little hen didn't have the strength to protect her chicks. Luckily four survived so not all was lost. Good luck.

 

[Okiegent]

Picco
Thank you for your advice. I will move them at night. I was thinking about building two small houses,covered, with small run's. Mabey put some plywood around edges just to keep nest area in the dark and make it quiterand keep out predetors. I know how angry it makes you when your chickens that cannot defend thereselves get attacked. I have found sometime chickens do what sems to us some of the silly's things.
I had two really nice standard white cochin roosters peck thereselves to death almost, before I caught them fighting. They had gotten together somehow. I took them in and cleaned them up and scolded them.Several days later I decided they would have to make dumblings.Have a wonderfull day.

 

[Llysse]

Oh, your Speckled Sussex are SO beautiful! Do you like that breed? It's one I considered myself...

 

[bantymum]

Yes your chickens are beautiful, so is the coop.

Looks like you have nice green grass for them as well.
Anyhow, I always move my broody bantams to a new private spot as they are in a mixed flock.

I moved a broody the other day who had been sitting for 2 days. I then even put 2 day old chicks under her and she has taken them in.

I also agree to do it at night and confine them to their spot for a couple of days so they dont walk., and therefore keep psyched up to the job.
Best of luck
Helen

 

[Okiegent]

Llysse and bantymum

Thank you for your comments. Lysse I do like all my chickens and am very attached to them all. The speckeled sussex is named Momma she is so gentle and kind just loves to be handled and a good layer as well. I have two of them both are wonderfull and a breed I will try to keep around. Helen The coop was made up of scrap wood from a swimming pool deck all of it is things that I had torn down somewhere else. All except the roof. We are on a acreage so I like to let them roam also. I have to watch them though as we have chicken hawks roosting in a big old elm about a mile away and they come through the drive through every morning looking for something to go.I have been loooking around this morning trying to figure out were to build somthing to put them at. They really seem content now but I worry about the one in the nest being to high for babies and the other being in a pet carrier both need more room when chicks hatch to bond and explorer together as well as a quite place. Am I right or just to motherley hahahah.Your right about moving I think. I went out to my shop to check on the litle mom in the pet carrier awhile ago. She is the one that was trying to get in with the other and lay hers with the other hen hahah. She was off her nest she is kinda on and off so you know I was worrying are you gona do this or do you want to just pester someone. So I went out and watered some of the garden and came back in and sure enough she was back on them. I think I will let her run her course and let mother nature and her do it all. I still need to find a better place. Any suggestions on how and were to build a temporary holding pen for mom's and soon to be chicks I pray. Not like I got any more room for more chickens hahaha.

 

[bantymum]

Dear Okiegent,
sorry for delay, Im on different time frame over here.
I have been outside all day making up 2 new pens with grass runs for my 2 broodies.
Do you have spare chicken mesh/wire hanging around? Get 2 nice big wooden boxes, (I like the old china tea crates) wooden packing boxes. use one for each hen.
Position them so they are protected from weather undercover. Then make a wire run around them, separating the 2 hens, so you have 2 mini coops.
Then run the mesh over the top so its tall enough for you to stand in, this protects the "families" from hawks. Then move the hens to their new houses.
It doesnt need to be pretty, mine look pretty rugged however they are safe from hunting birds.
I also run some finer mesh about 1 foot high around the perimeters from the ground up to stop the littlies from jumping through the larger mesh and into trouble.
My broodies are settled in and come out for a scratch etc then go back in.
I hope this helps,
Helen