My broody chicken, maybe... another chicken's fertilized eggs.

[humblehillsfarm]

Moving a hen would be nice, but they like to go broody where THEY want to go broody. If you do move her mover her with dummy eggs until you know for sure it was a good move. In the middle of the night perhaps.

In my experience, moving hens outside of the coop has a much higher fail rate than moving them to a different location within the coop.

 

[The Happster]

I moved a hen during the middle of the night. Unfortunately she was one of these ones that is doing what she is doing, how she likes to do it. She got off. Eggs began to go cold. I ran out with a bad feeling about it at midnight and just managed to get there in time. Had to move her back into the coop where she had been. Fussy old bird.

 

[gimmie birdies]

What I have done, is let a hen go broody where she wants and then just mark the eggs I want her to have. but then don't give her a crazy number, and write down the hatch date. The problem with that is she could get into fights with other hens over the nest and they could all get broken. (That is why you don't give her a crazy # of eggs. Crazy number of eggs is a bad idea anyway.)- "Ha ha here is a picture of my hen sitting on 40 eggs!" No, not cute.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I was not condoning moving a hen. But people do what they do.

 

[FeatherstoneFrm]

I had an Appenzeller hen set on 6 eggs. Only 1 hatched (not her egg) so the day she hatched I went and bought 6 day old chicks, all different breeds, and took them home. I needed to move mama and baby so I took her out and my daughter held her while I moved her baby to the safer location and put the other six in the box. When I put the hen back in she quickly assessed and counted all 7 babies, tucked them under her and settled in.
They will raise any baby they find under them.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

What I have done, is let a hen go broody where she wants and then just mark the eggs I want her to have. but then don't give her a crazy number, and write down the hatch date. The problem with that is she could get into fights with other hens over the nest and they could all get broken. (That is why you don't give her a crazy # of eggs. Crazy number of eggs is a bad idea anyway.)- "Ha ha here is a picture of my hen sitting on 40 eggs!" No, not cute.

The only reason why I strongly advice against this is because I went from 8 fertile eggs to two within three days due to the other hens breaking her eggs trying to kick her out of the nest.

 

[The Happster]

I have a girl broody right now, and I've had to block off the egg box. My girl is the lowest in the pecking order, and ALL the hens want to lay there. She's been scared out once already, because I left the door open so she could get some fresh air and light, thinking the problem hens were elsewhere, and they jumped over the wall.
Just because they wanted to lay an egg in THAT eggbox. And I don't trust those hens.

 

[The Happster]

I had an Appenzeller hen set on 6 eggs. Only 1 hatched (not her egg) so the day she hatched I went and bought 6 day old chicks, all different breeds, and took them home. I needed to move mama and baby so I took her out and my daughter held her while I moved her baby to the safer location and put the other six in the box. When I put the hen back in she quickly assessed and counted all 7 babies, tucked them under her and settled in.
They will raise any baby they find under them.

This is extremely helpful...because I am on exactly the same position. My girl has three eggs under her, but only one max will hatch. Other two are infertile. So I was thinking about getting some day olds, as I can't add any more eggs now, it's day 7. I thought she would accept them if I put them in just after the other one has hatched, if it does. But I wanted to see if anyone else had any experience. Thank you.

 

[gimmie birdies]

If you read what I said I did give warnings in my posts also.

 

[Jezalilly]

Of course, since I'm a new chicken mama, this is my first time with broody hens I have to be difficult and I'm bringing in fertilized eggs from other hens (i don't have a rooster). Neither the egg donor nor i have any idea what we are doing....

I'm desperate for y'alls knowledge of best practices. I'm in New Orleans so once this potential hurricane blows over us this weekend I am hoping my beautiful Joana is still broody next week and we can attempt to have my girl hatch my friend's fertilized eggs.