Question about broody and placing eggs

[ausash]

I have a buff orpington mix that has just gone broody, and a mean broody at that, and am wondering what would be the best way to move her to a different coop and put fertile eggs under her. I tried to check under her for eggs today and she bit me 5 times and will not even let me near her and I would really love to place some eggs under her and let her raise them, I don't have a rooster so I have to buy the eggs. Any advice would be great.

Thanks,
Michelle

 

[panner123]

She gave you little love pecks not bites. (yea right). You need to get everything site up before you move her if you really have to. Until you get fertile eggs get some of the plastic easter eggs to put under her. I always leave one real egg under the hen when doing this. You can change out the real egg each day, so you never lose an egg. All this should be done soon or you might have to wait until she goes broody again.

 

[countryentertainment]

Hi Michelle,
I just had to do the same thing, they are mean and quick. we had an old dresser drawer that I put shavings in and wooden eggs. Sat this next to the box she was in and with leather gloves on moved her really fast. I was told if you pick a broody up for very long they with poo on you. When I tried to get the real eggs under her she wanted nothing to do with me putting them under, but if I sat them next to the front of her she moved each carefully under herself resting and maybe warming each up before placing the next under. If you have to check the eggs or remove them while she's on them it's much safer from the back!

Hope this helps some,
Cindy

 

[ausash]

She is currently in one of the two very large nesting boxes we have in our large coop, could I just leave her in there until hatch then move her and the chicks. Will the other hens bother her eggs?

Michelle

 

[bassfishrman]

I recently moved a broody hen to place her on eggs. She was setting in a nest that was too high to hatch babies from. I was afraid that after they were born, they would fall out and get hurt.

My hen was also "mean" about me touching her so I took a rake handle and gently raised her with it to get her out of the nest. She refused to move at first, but I was persistant and it worked after a minute or two. When she flew from the nest, I moved her eggs to a lower nest out of the way where she can hopefully hatch the chicks successfully. I also removed the straw from the high nest to keep her from trying to set in it again.

After removing her from the nest and moving her eggs to a new nest for hatching, I stepped back to see what she would do. She went straight back to the nest I had removed her from and began looking for her eggs. To her surprise, the eggs and straw were gone. She had this confused look. I couldn't believe what she did next...she sat on the wood floor of the empty nest as if it had straw and eggs in it.

I moved to plan B...which is what I suggest for anyone who is trying to relocate a broody hen. I ran her out of the nest again and covered ALL nests in the coop except the one with her eggs in it. After checking out all of the nests in the coop, she went and found the nest with her eggs in it and has been on it every since. We are expecting chicks on Easter Sunday.

Good Luck!

 

[claraserena]

My Buff Orphington went broody nearly a month ago. It was too cold outside and we had no way to shelter her from the other chickens so knew we had to bring her in. She was on 12 eggs. The one late afternoon I was out and she was off the eggs to eat. So the next day at about that time, my husband and I went out; she was off the eggs to eat. I picked her up--she wasn't happy but never bit me. My husband gathered the eggs and some nesting material and brought it all in. WE set up a low sandbox, arranged the eggs in it and put her in. She went right to the eggs sat, and basically sat there for 3 weeks. She is unbelievably gentle. She would let me look under her and every evening I would pick her up, put her on some paper and she would often take the chance to poop then. She would also sit on the floor (no eggs)--it was as if she didn't know what else to do.
She's now a proud mama to 5 chicks (we lost 4 and 3eggswere infertile). The chicks just adore her. I have never seen anything like it. She lets me pick her up and she lets me pick up the chicks but only for a few seconds then she gets upset. I think she was born to be a mom. Can't wait to see her take them all out in a few weeks!

 

[ausash]

Well we moved her to our extra coop and she just squawked like you would not believe for about 15 minutes and then looked at the eggs and went about her day. She has not tried to get back on the eggs yet and this was early afternoon (these are not the fertile eggs just some that she had decided to sit on that the others layed). She keeps walking the perimeter of the fence wanting to get back to her original nest and I am hoping that tonight she will go into this nest and then stay put. Fingers crossed since I will be getting the fertile eggs in the next couple of days.

 

[Blisschick]

Quote:
There is nothing cuter than seeing her sit there with chicks peeking out from her feathers and them walking all over her back like she's their big plaything.

 

[Ravenxxx]

So if a hen goes broody how long will she stay like that? could she decided sod this sitting lark and not return to her eggs?

I was thinking about getting some eggs which are already fertizised as we dont want a roo although none of our girls are looking to be broody at the mo

.

Dont really fancy buying all the equipment of incubator and hatcher etc and it seems very difercult to work but would love to raise or see some chicks around.

 

[bantymum]

I have relocated my broodies to hatch in a safer place by picking up the basket that the eggs are in with broody still sitting on eggs!!then I confine her to the new spot with chicken wire wrapped around the new place so she cant go too far. this has always worked for me.
Try talking gently to mum and go a bit clucky with some chick talk "boooork, booork , before you move her and keep her in the loop as to what you are up to! She doesnt know so she will peck like we would!!
Best of luck,
Helen