When to open Nesting Boxes?

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BellaBlueBell said:
I've been wondering about this, too. What happens if I open the boxes and they take to sleeping in them?
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If there are roosts higher than the nests, they probably won't. Chickens like to roost as high as possible. If any do roost in the nests, come back and let us know, and we'll try and figure out why.
 
I have a broody hen that sleeps in empty nesting boxes. We gather all the eggs every day, and she's always sitting in whichever box has the most eggs. I'm trying to convince my wife that we can let her hatch a clutch of eggs, keep a few to replace some older hens and sell the rest but she's afraid of falling in love and not being able to get rid of any of them.
 
Coops Dad said:
I have a broody hen that sleeps in empty nesting boxes. We gather all the eggs every day, and she's always sitting in whichever box has the most eggs. I'm trying to convince my wife that we can let her hatch a clutch of eggs, keep a few to replace some older hens and sell the rest but she's afraid of falling in love and not being able to get rid of any of them.
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A definite possibility. @aart has a method for "breaking" a broody, a very good idea if you are not planning to let her hatch babies of her own or give her day-olds to see if she will adopt them. They do lose weight and condition if they are broody too long, and I have heard they can even die. If you do get day-olds, though, set up a brooder in case she does not accept them.
 
Coops Dad said:
I have a broody hen that sleeps in empty nesting boxes. We gather all the eggs every day, and she's always sitting in whichever box has the most eggs.
Click to expand...
How long has she been dong this?
It's awfully hot in most of the US to be letting a broody set.

The longer you let them set the longer it can take to break them...and again the heat can make it harder to cool them off. Might be good for a cool(not cold) water dunk before placing in the break er cage in a shady spot.

If you don't want her to hatch out chicks, IMO it's best to break her broodiness promptly.

My experience goes about like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest (or as soon as I know they are broody), I put her in a wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop or run with feed and water.

I used to let them out a couple times a day, but now just once a day in the evening(you don't have to) and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two. Or take her out of crate daily very near roosting time(30-60 mins) if she goes to roost great, if she goes to nest put her back in crate.

Tho not necessary a chunk of 2x4 for a 'roost' was added to crate floor after pic was taken.
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