Poor little broody hen freaking out

[Robin'sBrood]

because I have locked her in my chicken tractor. What she doesn't realize is that I moved her eggs too. Is there anything I can do to help her find them?

 

[chickenpiedpiper]

oh, I wanna hear this answer, I am moving a broody hen and her thre eggs tonight, and I am nervous as hell!

Good Luck!

 

[Robin'sBrood]

I had to do the move while she was off the eggs because she hid her nest under the coop (no way to get her out from under there without killing her) SO, she didn't see me scratching my arm all to pieces as I reached under and pulled her eggs out, put them in a small dog house nest box, and put it in the chicken tractor. All she knows now is that she is trapped and she wants OUT.

 

[Fudgie]

Can you not put her in the house for a while on the eggs and shut it up till she realizes they are safe. then release her to the chicken tractor?

 

[Robin'sBrood]

HA! I can't catch her, the fast little bantam booger. My roo chased her in the tractor just after I had put the nest box in there so I thanked him and closed the door. Now she is pacing back and forth at the door, maybe a foot or so away from her eggs.

 

[chickenpiedpiper]

I have to move my little girl tonight, cause she is in the coop with everyone else, and I have been told the other chickens will kill the chicks, so I have set up a seperate cage in the coop, and will be moving her tonight from one corner to another..... I am waiting until after dark in the hopes that will work....

Good Luck with yours, sometimes these ladies just dont get it.....

 

[Robin'sBrood]

Okay, I went out there and crawled into the tractor with her. I managed to grab her so I was able to put her in the dog house (nest box) with the eggs. I then blocked the entrance to the house. She freaked out and didn't seem to even notice that her eggs were in there. After a few minutes of her freaking I just let her out. The eggs are already cold anyway.

She's very young (8 months old) and I'm not sure if the eggs were being kept warm enough to develop anyway. She laid them in a nest on the ground under the coop and we've had some very cold nights since she laid them. No biggie to me if they don't hatch. I didn't want her to hatch them out and then have chicks that died, because that would have broken my kids' hearts. No chicks is MUCH, MUCH better than dead chicks, KWIM?

 

[mikarod]

That's the reason I generally leave the hens in the nest that they've chosen until the chicks hatch. Once hatching starts, the hens will keep tight on that nest.

 

[Robin'sBrood]

I gave in and gave the eggs back to her, back under the coop. We'll see what happens... or doesn't.

 

[justusnak]

Is there a way to put the nest...in a box or crate under the hen house!? This way...when she goes under there to get on the nest, you can move her and nest and all at the same time. She would be alot more comfortable about the move.