Suggestions for moving Broody hen

[Suechick]

I have a first time broody hen that I tried to move tonight. When I put her in the new nest she decided to take her daily constitution

so I let her out to roam around and eat. When she was done and I brought her back to her new nest, she was desperate to get away and wants to get back to the old nest.

I finally blocked her exit from the nest so she's locked in.

I'm wondering if the stress she's feeling will make her stop brooding or if there is anything I can do to encourage her to settle down and brood.

Any suggestions?

 

[mmaddie's mom]

Next time you move her, do it at night when she is settled for the night.

Let her go back to her old nest for a day or so and then try the move again.

 

[Higins00]

Same thing happend to my hen. She did not take to the new nest and I had to leave her be on the old one until the babies came. I was afraid the eggs would get cold and die. After she hatched she went anywhere I put her as long as she had her babies.

 

[Suechick]

Well, she was locked in and panicked. She tried to fly up and roost on top of the nest box instead of inside it on the eggs. So, we completely blocked her exit from the nest box. She seemed unhappy for a while but finally calmed down to sleep on the new nest after about 10 minutes. She seems to have quieted and has the decoy eggs under her. Now we hope for her to be contentedly sitting on them in the am.

How long should we wait before giving her the "real" eggs? Is there a limit to how long they will brood before giving up?

 

[Suechick]

Hi Higins

thanks for your reply.
How did you manage the other chickens in your flock? Did any of them try to lay eggs in the nest with your broody? Today at one point I had 2 hens in the nest with my broody, one was standing on top of her. I don't know what a broody will tolerate from the other girls before she abandons the nest.