Oh no, broody hen sat on the wrong nest!

[growinupinfl]

My silly hen has been working this week so hard at being a good mommy. But she got off the nest today, went right back and sat down on the WRONG NEST! I opened up the box and she was sitting in the nest box next to her eggs on one egg instead of her 8. The eggs were cold. But we had been out there about two hours prior and she was on them. The air temp was about 85 degree's. (Gotta love the Florida Fall!) The eggs were cold. I picked her back up and put her back on them. I defiantly need to isolate her with her own box. I really hope she does hatch some eggs... Any one else have to put a hen back on her eggs and still have them hatch?

Christal

 

[Chickenaddict]

Yep I have had a hen get off her nest all night before realizing she was on the wrong nest. It just may take the babies a little longer to hatch thats all.

 

[chicky lady]

My hen just did this! I was wondering if you eggs actually hatched?? I hope mine do, I have to find somewhere to move her since I have another broody hen in the "nursery".

 

[Qalupalik]

This happened to me today and yesterday! Yesterday, my two broody hens just switched nests, so it wasn't a big deal. Today, however, I was at work all day (go figure) and when I came back, my first broody was on the other broody's nest, and the second broody was sitting on infertile eggs. ARGH! And the first eggs (the exposed ones) are at day 20. I sure hope they still hatch. What rotten luck, though!

 

[diamond8s]

It happened to me as well. I ran the eggs into the incubator. Unfortunately they were cold by the time I found them and they never hatched. I gave them until day 25 . Hope you have better luck. I was told to always remove the broody hen to her own space to avoid this. I wish I did!

 

[Qalupalik]

Good news!! (For me at least) 3 chicks have hatched so far today, and another one is pipping!! There is hope after all!


In all, 11 of the 12 hatched, and the 12th didn't produce an embryo.

 

[LTygress]

My hen just did the same exact thing. The problem is, I don't know how many days my broody spent like that. I was working and left the feeding and watering of the chickens to my nephew. Turns out he didn't even collect eggs!

The eggs I had given to the broody were due next weekend. And when I got home from work today, she had done it again as well. I removed the golfballs that were in there when I first noticed her move, but she didn't care. I think it had more to do with nest LOCATION. Her nest USED to be the one on the far left, until she became broody, and I put another one to the left of hers to get the non-broody hens to lay in a different nest.

This weekend I have completely available to watch her. So instead of just removing the other nest, I picked it up, turned it sideways, and moved it several feet away. I'll keep an eye out to see if she does it again. For tonight, she appears to be sleeping in her own nest, which is good. Tomorrow will be the day to watch closest to see if it worked.

 

[Qalupalik]

Best of luck to you!! I hope you get as desirable results as I did, despite the hiccups!