Hello everybody! Right now, I am on a mission to hatch some chicks with my silkie. However, there is just one issue. So, she has gone broody on a very popular spot to lay eggs. There are six hens (including her) that lay in this area. I do have other alternative places, but the hens refuse to budge. I planned to replace the eggs that she is sitting on now with the fertile eggs that I have been collecting. The problem with this is the fact that there will be five unfertilized eggs added to hers every day. This wouldn't be much of an issue normally, but the preferred nest is in a nearly unreachable spot. I don't think that I will be able to remove new eggs every morning. So here are the possible solutions that I came up with:
1. Move her to another nest box WITHIN the coop. This way she won't lose contact with the flock and can eat with everybody else. But, I worry that she may abandon the new spot and fertile eggs in order to continue brooding on the public nest.
2. Move her to the extra coop. I have an additional coop that I planned to place her and the babies in once they hatched. I am able to have her move in early, but again, I don't want her to reject the nest.
3. Just leave her.
What do ya'll think? If you guys have any suggestions or solutions, PLEASE let me know! Thank you in advance!
1. Move her to another nest box WITHIN the coop. This way she won't lose contact with the flock and can eat with everybody else. But, I worry that she may abandon the new spot and fertile eggs in order to continue brooding on the public nest.
2. Move her to the extra coop. I have an additional coop that I planned to place her and the babies in once they hatched. I am able to have her move in early, but again, I don't want her to reject the nest.
3. Just leave her.
What do ya'll think? If you guys have any suggestions or solutions, PLEASE let me know! Thank you in advance!