Swapping nests

[gsgosselin]

My Serama hen is sitting on eggs. Some have hatched, but the chicks were not in the nest and didn't make it. (i have fixed that) I have a broody Moran sitting on infertile eggs so a friend brought me a some fertile eggs and we put them under her. So today I go to check on the Serama to see if there are any more chicks . The Serama was in the chicken run.The Moran is sitting on the Serama eggs. Tonight the Serama is on the regular sized eggs because Moran is on her eggs What should I do?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Can each hen cover all the other’s eggs? Seramas are pretty small. If the eggs have been covered no damage has occurred. If the Serama could not cover all the other eggs, there is some risk but you may still be OK.

I’d put each hen back on the right nest. Sometimes broody hens get confused as to which nest is theirs, especially if another hen is laying on egg in their nest when they get back from their daily constitutional. That’s happened to me a few times. One time a hen had been off her eggs for most of the day based on how cold the eggs felt. I put her back on her eggs and she still hatched 11 out of 11 eggs. It’s not a good thing to happen but it’s usually not the end of the world.

I usually let my hens hatch with the flock but you may need to do some isolating for one of the hens. You could fix an isolation spot, essentially a cage the hen cannot get out of and no other chicken can get in. Lock her in there with a nest, food, and water. The risk in moving a hen is that she may break from being broody. I have moved a few, stuff is always happening, you have to stay flexible. I find if I move them at night and make the new nest fairly dark they take the move pretty well most of the time. I make that nest so I can lock her in it and leave her locked in the nest pretty much all the next day.

If you can manage it, another way would be to build a cage around one of those nests and lock the hen in that nest, with a bit of room for food and water. That way you are not moving her.

Good luck!

 

[gsgosselin]

Thanks. Right after I posted this I went out to the coop and moved them to the appropriate spot. The Serama has been "wild" since day one. Once the eggs hatch or most likely won't. It has been 6 days since last one hatched. They all died from exposure. Fault in design of the coop and nests. I hopefully fixed that. Anyhow. No indication that the remaining eggs will hatch. Thanks again for your help.

 

[gsgosselin]

I never intended to hatch eggs so my coop isn't designed to be chick friendly. The "henhouse" is elevated about 3 feet off the ground. It's 4x8. Plenty of room. The nest boxes are built right on the floor. I added a 2 or 3 inch lip to keep chicks from wandering away. So outside in the "run" is a little over 100 sq feet. With 48 being under the coop.
How would you care for the hen and chicks from the large hen? She is on 12 eggs. The chicken run is 100% predator proof and very stable. Would you move them on the ground under the henhouse (btw I call that the coop. Not store what the official term would be. Anyhow, except for the other hens, she would be safe and dry outside on the ground.