Tried to move broody hen unsucsessfully. Any tips?

[Henfla]

One of my hens became broody three days ago. Yesterday I gave her some fertilized eggs to lay on. I have two nesting boxes for my 6 hens, but everyone wants to use the same one so I wanted to move her to a separate space so that the others can lay eggs without her being in the nesting box and also so that she gets to do her thing in piece. So I tried to move her yesterday a while after the lights turned off to a dog cage inside the coop with a nest, food and water, and it went okay until the lights turned off this evening, then she went crazy inside the cage because she wanted to go to the "original" nesting box.. I let her go and gave her the eggs after trying to calm her down several times, but now the chickens will sit on top of her tomorrow and lay their eggs... I have marked the fertile eggs, but I'm worried because she's only a bantam and the five regular eggs she lays on now are more than enough for her, and I worry that she will reject the fertile eggs and put under her the eggs that the others lay and they are not fertile because I don't have a rooster. Also she cant have the baby chickens in that nesting box when they hatch.. So what do you guys think I should do? Or should I just do nothing?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Do you have another safe building where you can build a nest box that resembles the one she likes? In my experience, if you can replicate the original nest as much as possible, including nest pad, they will take to it.

 

[Sussex19]

Can you just block off that nesting box, so the hens use the other one to lay eggs?

 

[Henfla]

Do you have another safe building where you can build a nest box that resembles the one she likes? In my experience, if you can replicate the original nest as much as possible, including nest pad, they will take to it.

I don't have another coop or anything, and it's too cold outside to keep her anywhere else. The only alternative would be inside our house. The nesting box they all like is an old wooden box that hung on the wall in the garage when we bought the house. I've tried to buy another wooden box that is a little bit similar, but they don't want to use it..

 

[Henfla]

Can you just block off that nesting box, so the hens use the other one to lay eggs?

I didn't think about that being an alternative Thanks alot. I'll try that. Don't think they will be too happy about it but I'll try!

 

[SheaLoner]

I don't have another coop or anything, and it's too cold outside to keep her anywhere else. The only alternative would be inside our house. The nesting box they all like is an old wooden box that hung on the wall in the garage when we bought the house. I've tried to buy another wooden box that is a little bit similar, but they don't want to use it..

Is the dog kennel you used a wire one? If so try to cover all the sides before trying to move her. I would give her a few more days to settle in and then move, in the dark, the entire nest in with her and lock the door.

 

[Sussex19]

I didn't think about that being an alternative Thanks alot. I'll try that. Don't think they will be too happy about it but I'll try!

Its what I always do, and the other hens have never seemed to mind moving so far, so its certainly worth a shot.
If you have some fake eggs, or golf balls, I usually put them where I want them to lay, when I'm getting them to move.

 

[Henfla]

Is the dog kennel you used a wire one? If so try to cover all the sides before trying to move her. I would give her a few more days to settle in and then move, in the dark, the entire nest in with her and lock the door.

Yes, It's a wire one. Ok, thanks, I'll try that!

 

[Henfla]

Its what I always do, and the other hens have never seemed to mind moving so far, so its certainly worth a shot.
If you have some fake eggs, or golf balls, I usually put them where I want them to lay, when I'm getting them to move.

Thanks, yes I have fake eggs so I'll try that!