Yesterday afternoon 3 of our hens decided to start sitting on their nests. They sat all night, but in the morning left the nests and have spent the day so far with the flock. They must be getting broody, right? Are the eggs they sat on still viable or should I collect them all and let them start over?
Also has anybody had luck moving a broody turkey? One of them is nesting off our property and was thinking of trying to move her and her nest into the coop.
During cold spells, i have had hens sit on a nest during the cold hours only. Once the temperature warmed up, they were up and off of the nests. They didn't start sitting full time for over a week later. All of the eggs hatched on the appropriate date later. It is my belief that they were sitting on the eggs to prevent them from freezing. It is possible that they slightly elevate their bodies to prevent the eggs from starting to incubate but still keep warm enough to not freeze.
If I was going to attempt to move a broody hen, I would move her into a small caged area where I could provide her with food and water. I would build a nest in this area and add her eggs to the nest. I would make an attempt to have her see me move the eggs and then I would cage her in with the eggs. If nothing else, a person could try moving the hen and eggs into a large pet carrier. I would move the carrier with the hen in it, preferably at night but would remove the eggs prior to transport and only return them once the hen has settled down.
Good luck.