New to BYC - but have a broody hen question

TotallyFlashy

Hatching
5 Years
Apr 15, 2014
6
0
7
I have a hen who has gone broody, she's about a year old, but she keeps switching nesting boxes. She was in the lowest bank of nesting boxes I have. My set up is an upright set of nesting boxes, two across and four high. She was sitting in the lowest box but would switch from one to the other so I blocked off one of them. Today after sitting in the lower nesting box for 3 days...I came home to find her on level 2. Is there a way to keep her from moving around or is she just so young that she doesn't understand. Do I put her into an area that is self contained and she can't switch nesting boxes. She is in with 10 other hens and a rooster. I don't want her to keep brooding and have nothing happening and her condition deteriorate due to that. What do you all suggest?
 
Thanks - will have to get the proper 'broody breaker' from a neighbor. Feel bad for the girl who has the need to sit on the eggs but don't want to see her go downhill in condition.
 
If you want to hatch some chicks then i recommend that you take her to her own private area with a cosy nest and some fake eggs... if she is really broody she will hopefully settle on the eggs...then 2-3 days later you take the fake eggs and replace them with fertile ones.... the process should be done at night cause it will be less stressing for them and the chances that she accept the new nest is greater...if you don't want chicks then it is better if you break her broodiness...
 
Thanks for this info about giving her the fake eggs, which I have. I will put her in a self contained area as suggested and then replace the wood eggs with real eggs in the evening after everyone has gone to roost. Thanks very much - figured it had happened many times before :)
 
It is better if you wait 2 days to put the fertile eggs just in case she changes her mind... when you are sure that she have accepted the new nest then put the good eggs... there are many people who had put the good eggs under a broody right away and she rejected the eggs... even i currently have broody that is incubating eggs... i had removed her at night to the broody area... when i was about to move her she was already incubating the eggs for 2 days... then in the broody pen she ate a bit did a big poop... i thought that thos is good... then soon after she decided that she didn't like the place and wanted to go to the nest box she was... i didn't know what to do so i just let her out to go to the nest box with her eggs... if i had put fake eggs with her to the new area then i.wouldn't have bothered but in my case the eggs were already incubated for two days so i was afraid that they will chill... but yesterday when i candled some of her eggs i saw the embryo developing inside... some were moving too...
 
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