Our little Buff Cochin Bantam has gone broody (her first time) and is setting on one of her own eggs and 3 she commandeered from her full size lady hen friends. They all prefer one nest box and climbed in right on top of her - despite protest - to lay their eggs today. I have moved her to the garage (unheated) to hatch out the babies. She is in a nesting pod - a big plastic tub with chicken wire over the top, a nesting box made from a feed bag wrapped milk crate with lots of hay inside it and a small board to keep the hay in. In the other half of the tub is her food, water (which I will be bringing out 2x a day since it will freeze) and some pine shavings for potty. I moved her tonight under the cover of darkness much to her protest but as soon as she saw her eggs she snuggled back up on them. Do you think she will keep them warm enough on her own to hatch? If they do I have a couple more questions here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=5252965#p5252965 Thanks for your advice - I really want her to be as happy as she can through this with the best outcome - even though she picked the beginning of the COLD to start her famiy!! I added this picture of Butter and the roo Treasure....
Broody Cochin here hatched a single baby a week ago. High temps today were high 20s/low 30s and they are in the unheated coop. So far, so good, but I'm considering a heat lamp. I bet mama will take care of them and keep them warm without a problem. Good Luck! ~Terry
After moving pretty Mama to the Ritz of nesting boxes (to help keep peace in the coop and to keep her warmer) she decided to hop off the eggs and not set on them. Out in the coop nest box she'd been setting non stop for several days and nights. I have returned her to her pals so now perhaps she has given up on the broody at the beginning of winter - we shall see how the day continues - for now shes out scratching about with the others. I think that when she lays today perhaps she will not decide to set and we can wait for spring - hopefully! I have no basement or extra room, as well as two big dogs and four cats prowling in the house so the garage is really the only option. I will post again if she sets a new clutch!
Wow - this lil hen is makin me batty! When I put her in her broody box she WONT set on her eggs (even overnight) but after an hour of hanging with the hens she climbed back in the nest box in the coop. The other hens insist in laying in that nest and are literally climbing on top of her to lay. I will let her hatch them but am not sure what will happen out there - its soooo cold that if she gets up to eat (the feed is not in the coop) the eggs will freeze before she gets back. Also, will the other hens eventually stop laying in there an use the other box? Should I leave her in the broody box and see if she will set in there? Do you thing she will? I could give her a golf ball while I stocked up on eggs for a few? Shheeesh - silly bird.
I freerange my chickens and have occasionaly have a girl go AWOL and decide to go broody on a hidden nest. Since we have tons of raccoons etc. around here I frown on that kind of activity so have had to move broody hens before. They can be incredibly stubborn about sitting on "their" nest and if given the chance will almost always go back to it--eggs or no eggs. Here's what I do, it doesn't work everytime, but I've had pretty good success since I started using this method. 1. Get the new nest all set up (I use an extra large dog crate) and then move her at night. I take her off of "her" nest, tuck her head under a wing so she stays calm and hand her off to dd why I collect the eggs. The eggs go in the new nest, the hen follows and then I shut the crate door and cover it with an old blanket. 2. I leave the blanket on until the next night. After 24 hours or so in near dark the hen is usually back into her broody trance and is happily sitting on the eggs. The dog crate is large enough for food/water and for her to get off the nest to poo, though I do have to clean up daily. 3. I have a 4x4 dog kennel that has a plywood top and that is where I keep the broody crate. After a couple of days in the crate I open the door so she can have a better stretch during her daily consitutional and also is able to take a dust bath. I do not open the door of the 4x4 kennel though, because I've had them go back to "their" nest even after sitting happily for a week in the crate. 4. Wait for the cute little fluff butts!! 5. After the chicks are a few days to a week old (depends how good of a momma the hen is) I open the kennel door and the family starts to freerange with the flock. Most of the moms bring their chicks back to the crate at bedtime for a couple of weeks and then gradually start sleeping in the main coop again. Good luck with your stubborn girl!
You cant just move the nest to somewhere else. She is used to that spot already. Thats why she's like that.
I am now unsure - move or not? If she stays in the coop the other hens will continue to lay eggs right on her! Plus, when she does get up to eat the eggs will freeze in minutes - 0 degrees out! Above posts say move/dont move! When I moved her the first time I ddi everything mentioned except cover her with a blanket - not sure if that wouldreally help? I'd love her to have some little ones, even if it means paying the extra electric bill for warming! Anyone else??
