Need to Move Broody, HELP!

[poseygrace]

My broody has been sitting in one of my nest boxes in the general coop, but I want to move her to her own setup with her own coop/run before the biddies hatch. I know I should have done it earlier, but i just got her coop completed. They are due in the next few days. Any advice on how/when to move her would be MUCH appreciated. Should I wait till the chicks hatch? Should I do it at night? Thanks!

 

[Ridgerunner]

We all do it differently. I let my broodies raise them with the flock but there are certainly people that separate a broody and her chicks from the flock.

I don't know your reasons for moving them or your current set-up. I let my broody hatch the eggs in the nest. After she brings them off the nest, I put them in isolation for a couple of days so they can learn to eat and drink without interference from the big chickens. After two or three days, I turn them loose so she can raise them with the flock. So my answer would be move her after she hatches them.

My concern with moving her earlier would be that she might break from being broody. It would be a shame to lose your hatch because of that.

 

[skillswife]

I moved my first broody into her own area of the coop and she spent a day off the eggs until I let her back. She never got over being broody after loosing those eggs and is on more but I am not touching her this time and will let her do her thing, lol. Can you move the whole box with her? My mistake I think was that I couldn't and so she was going into a different box and it freaked her out. Ughh and I thought bator's were stressful, lol! Best of luck with your hatch whatever you decide to do.

 

[poseygrace]

Thanks for the input! She's in a nest box that is in the general coop, and the roost area is right above the nest boxes. So if she came out of the nest box with the chicks, They would get pooped on. I was also worried about where to keep the food/water for the biddies, because if it's on the coop floor, it will get pooped on, and the other little piggie hens will quickly gobble up the chick starter.

I like the idea of waiting till the chicks hatch and moving them all to the new spot. Any one else have input about whether that's worked for them?

 

[Twoheadedrooster]

Leave her on her nest until they all hatch out. Give her two or three days after they start hatching to let the eggs all have ample time to hatch, as it can differ sometimes. Have her new digs ready to go and she'll be thrilled! You can put a low-sided feed dish in for the chick feed, and a waterer. Have fun! (I just got 7 new ones out of a BB Red Bantam and a black silkie...hope to get a really small Black-Breasted Red silkie...lol...

 

[Rhondax6]

I had to move my broody because she lost one of her babies to an attack from another hen

It was heart breaking. We picked her up, nest and all and put her into a large guinea pig cage. She's a OEGB so she has plenty of room. We put her into the master bath with the lights off and a sheet over top. She protested all of one minute then settled in. She's still in there now with her one and only baby, Alice. Good luck with the move!

 

[Sunny Side Up]

At this late date you may just want to make a barricade around the nest box, if possible, giving Broody enough room to step out of her nest, eat & drink (from little dishes placed within), and take a poop. Once the chicks have hatched you should be able to move Broody & babies anywhere and they'll want to stay together.

If you can't enclose the nest area, just watch them carefully and move Broody & babies after they hatch.

I know that it is possible to keep a broody in the same coop with her flock, and for her to raise her babies there. But I think it's ideal to separate her as soon as it's certain she is broody. It can prevent a number of possible problems to do so. It's best to move broodies well after dark, and to make their move as smooth & seamless as possible. Move the entire nest box if you can. Shade the new location with cardboard or feed sacks to help broody settle in to her new location.