Question about broody hens

[ve]

I have small flock of Brown and Black Leghorns who are very broody. If I need to, each hen can hatch at least two batches each spring. They are good mothers and raise healthy babies. Only issue is they cannot be moved to another nest, so in the spring I make breeding pens of 4-5 hens and when one of them gets broody, I move out the other hens and let her hatch and raise the chicks there. It's little bit inconvenient but works.
I remember my grandmother moving her broody hens from one nest to another, from one room to another and they stayed were she used to put them.
I want to ask you to share your experience how you manage your broody hens? Are there breeds, who do not care where they are placed to sit?

 

[Saveria]

That is cool that you have leghorns that get broody.

So, typically to move a broody you will need to give her some time to get used to her new spot. And she may not be happy with you while she does that . Some of them won't accept being moved, and then won't stay broody, but some will settle down and continue on, but it may take a bit. Maybe some will even settle down immediately, but I have only seen that when she had chicks with her, and we moved the whole family together.

Here is a thread that I bookmarked because it talked a lot about this very topic. Let me know if it answers some of your questions, or if you have more.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/very-broody-hen-rejected-her-private-setup.1572997/

 

[ve]

Thank you for your answer and the link. Seems most people leave them where they are used to.
I am planning to make some dividers to separate the broody from other hens, for which I have to redesign my nest boxes.

 

[Ridgerunner]

It is not a breed thing. Leghorns are not supposed to go broody but yours do. It is things like that which convinces me that it is not a breed thing

I want to ask you to share your experience how you manage your broody hens?

Personally I usually let my broody hens hatch with the flock but I have moved some. The broody hen imprints on the location, not the eggs, so moving the eggs will not be enough to get her to change nests. What I would do is build a pen big enough for a nest, food, and water and not a lot else. Build a nest that is fairly dark. I put a door on the nest so I can lock the hen in there in the dark when I first move her. I move her at night and leave her locked in the nest for most of the next day after I am convinced she is truly broody. My plan is to leave her locked in that pen and all other chickens locked out until the eggs hatch. Give her a few fake eggs or sacrificial eggs until she has settled in the new nest and then start all the eggs you want her to hatch at the same time.

 

[ve]

Thank you for your reply. I like the idea about dark nest. It makes a lot of sense. I am going to check it next year. I have time to organize my space.

 

[aart]

I want to ask you to share your experience how you manage your broody hens?

I have a temporary wire wall I install in the coop to separate the broody.
Just find it easier to manage them that way.
I built that wall to create the separate 4x6' section when designing my coop.
It has a human door for my access and a pop door that goes to a separate run for the birds housed there.
It's been very handy for broodies, purchased or incubated chicks, and other reason where separation may be needed.
Once a broody has been setting in a nest for a few days/nights, I set up a floor nest with fake eggs for her and put her in there. It may take a bit(usually no more than a day) for her to settle back in, then I give her fresh fertile eggs. I remove the temporary wall a week or so after hatch.

 

[ve]

Thank you aart. My largest coop is 7x10, but I can make smaller cages and move the nests close to the floor.