Moving with my Chickens

[Chicken D's mom]

I have 3 Chickens. My hen Suzie is brooding a cluch of unfertilized eggs. I just candled them and they are not fertile.

She is on her second week of brooding. Should I just take her eggs away?
We are moving two states away in about a week and they will all be riding in a large cage. I thought it would be easier to mover her if she's brooding because she stays in her own little world and doesn't notice much going on around her. She's quite rambuncious when she's not brooding.

I want to make the trip comfortable for her and the other two chickens.

Please let me know your opinions. Thank you!

 

[HEChicken]

Is there any way you can get her some fertile eggs to brood?

 

[Ridgerunner]

The last thing I would do before a move is to get her some fertilized eggs. Life is complicated enough when you move.

I can see arguments for both ways, trying to break her or not break her before the move. Being broody is hard on her. She is not eating and drinking as much as normal so her strength and resistance is probably not as high as it could be. Any move is going to be stressful for her. Will she be more or less stressed out during the move if she is broody? I don't know.

Based on my not having a strong opinion one way or the other, I think I would leave her alone. I would take the eggs and put fake eggs under her. You don't need to deal with the mess of broken eggs right now. With the move coming up in a week, you have enough to deal with getting ready. You don't need to add the complication of trying to break a broody. I think the actual move will probably break her from being broody anyway.

Just my opinion. No strong feelings one way or the other, except about giving her fertile eggs now.

 

[max101]

I agree with ridgerunner being broody probaly would be settling for the long drive
Make sure you give her little boosts of vitamins in her water till you move
When you are at your new destination I think that by itself will break her broodinaess
Good luck

 

[Chicken D's mom]

Okay, I'll see if I can find some fertilized eggs, but I don't know where to get any before we move. Otherwise I think I'll let her be, and just see what she does. She has a baby that's about 2 months old and the baby sits in the nest with my broody. It's kinda cute. But Suzie's broodiness may help the baby stay calm too. I'll keep a spare nesting box in case of broken eggs and just switch them out. Suzie actually lets me do this when she breaks an egg. I use small plastic totes for nesting boxes. They clean up easily and you can snap a lid on the spares.

Thank you for the advice.

 

[4-H chicken mom]

Good advice given, good luck with you move.