Whats the best way to move a hen and her eggs?

[dfarmann]

We have a hen setting on eggs on top of a manure pile, an excellent place in amongst tall weeds for over head predators and a smell to cover her sent. But now that the rain has stopped the tall weeds are running out of moisture and dying so now the resident owl will get her.

Please explain in detail how to move her and her eggs to there roosting house.

In one corner is a covered wooden box that I was going to put the eggs and her in then make a small pen around there to keep her in yet be with her friends.

TIA.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Try reposting in the Incubating & Hatching forum, may get better responses.
I have no clue .... How long has she been setting? You may want to ready the area/section, move her when it's dark. Could you scoop up the nest, put it and her in a plastic laundry basket to make the move? Just guessing, hang in there for the more experienced to peep in. Best wishes ...

 

[sylviethecochin]

I've been able to pick up a few of my more stolid broodies and just move them and the nest to my preferred site without any fuss. It won't work with most OEGb hens, or the broody Leghorn, but it usually works with bantam cochins. I would try that first; if it doesn't work, she'll just go back to her nest and you'll be able to try the second method:

I move the nest into a large cardboard box. Let her get used to moving in and out of that. A couple days later, I close the box (add food, water, airholes) and move it to the preferred location. Let her set in it for a while (EDT: days). Open box.

Keep the area closed off, because depending on the [guinea], she may try to return to the old nest site. But she'll (if she's like my hens) set the nest as long as she's in there with it.

EDT: @R2elk (just realised this post was about guineas; didn't look at the forum. I've never raised guineas.)

 

[Unicornlife3316]

It is almost IMPOSSIBLE to move a guinea when she’s decided to set.

You can ATTEMPT to move the eggs to your preferred spot and then put her there as well, but don’t be surprised if it doesn’t work.

I don’t let my females sit on wild nests, I find them, run them off and dispose of the eggs. I haven’t attempted incubating yet, but plan to eventually.

One member had luck with putting them in a wheelbarrow I think?

@R2elk May be able to give more advice

 

[R2elk]

We have a hen setting on eggs on top of a manure pile, an excellent place in amongst tall weeds for over head predators and a smell to cover her sent. But now that the rain has stopped the tall weeds are running out of moisture and dying so now the resident owl will get her.

Please explain in detail how to move her and her eggs to there roosting house.

In one corner is a covered wooden box that I was going to put the eggs and her in then make a small pen around there to keep her in yet be with her friends.

TIA.

There have been many posts about attempting to move a guinea hen and her nest. How tame your hen is may be a very big contributing factor.

If I was going to try to move a guinea hen and her nest, I would catch her first, gather the eggs, move them to an already prepared site that is inside such as in a secure coop. I would also make an attempt to capture her mate. I would place the eggs in the prepared nest site (preferably a secluded area) and release the hen and her mate in there and shut them in with food and water. If she is broody enough, she might accept the move but do not be surprised if she does not.

Some people have built cages around the original nest site. Some people have tried placing the nest and the hen inside a large animal carrier where the nest was located and closing the door at night and opening it in the morning.

Over the years only a couple of people have posted about the methods that they have used successfully. I may be wrong but I believe that the people that were successful had a lot of positive interaction with their guineas.

I collect the eggs my guineas lay every day. I plant fake guinea eggs (handmade from Sculpey oven bake clay). Tonight when I went to put the guineas in their secure coop for the night, I had 4 hens trying to be broody on those fake eggs. My 6 year old Coral Blue hen has been particularly vicious in her attacks at my herding stick.

If your hen is anything like her, you will want to wear gloves and protective clothing when you deal with her.

Good luck with whatever you try.

 

[R2elk]

I've been able to pick up a few of my more stolid broodies and just move them and the nest to my preferred site without any fuss. It won't work with most OEGb hens, or the broody Leghorn, but it usually works with bantam cochins. I would try that first; if it doesn't work, she'll just go back to her nest and you'll be able to try the second method:

I move the nest into a large cardboard box. Let her get used to moving in and out of that. A couple days later, I close the box (add food, water, airholes) and move it to the preferred location. Let her set in it for a while (EDT: days). Open box.

Keep the area closed off, because depending on the [guinea], she may try to return to the old nest site. But she'll (if she's like my hens) set the nest as long as she's in there with it.

EDT: @R2elk (just realized this post was about guineas; didn't look at the forum. I've never raised guineas.)

I find moving a broody chicken simple when compared to dealing with guineas.

 

[dfarmann]

Many Thanks for the replies.

I'm thinking now about taking a sheet of plywood with three foot legs on the corners a setting that over the nest the next time she gets off for food and water. This will act like a roof to protect her from flying predators and the sun.

Any thoughts about this?

 

[mkeawsh]

My problem wasn't flying predators, mine were foxes, raccoons and coyotes. They would even brave daytime for an easy meal. I plan on putting a cage around the hen on her nest and securing it to the ground in the future. Tried moving all four hens at different times and they didn't want to have anything to do with the nests or eggs after they were moved. Chickens - I have never had a hen lay outside a nest box or chicken tractor, so I don't know but the nest and hen would be just as vulnerable as a guinea.

 

[red horse ranch]

Several years ago I had a guinea hen on a nest of eggs in a 'safe' place in the courtyard. She was attacked by a feral cat in the night and left blinded in one eye. Last year I had another guinea hen brooding in a what I thought was a 'safe place'. She was killed and mostly eaten by a feral cat. Any more if my hens aren't brooding in a building where I know they are safe then I won't let them set on the eggs. I will let them lay eggs under bushes and in tall grass but if they go broody I will take the eggs and send her back to the henhouse before nightfall. And yes, she will complain VERY loudly at the injustice.