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You can move a broody hen and her nest of hatching eggs. It is sometimes necessary to move broody hens and if you pick the right time of day it can be done easily with little risk of the hen leaving the nest.If You Bought Eggs for Your Broody Hen to Raise:
We need the protective bloom on the shell to stay intact. If you have an aggressive broody hen, wait until she gets up from the nest to eat or drink, then place the eggs in the nest. If she is letting you touch her, you can gently lift her and put the eggs under her.The advantages of separation are to protect the broody hen and her eggs (or chicks) from the rest of the flock. A broody hen that stayed with the flock will very likely be disturbed more, at greater risk of broken eggs or an infestation and may be bullied because she has withdrawn from the flock.
- How I Move a Broody Hen without Disrupting her Brooding:
- Prep Your New Nest.
- Plan during the Day for a Nighttime Move.
- Practice Proper Prophylactics.
- Use Low or No Light.
- Support her Body & Minimize Movement.
- Close Confinement in New Nest.
Contents
Can you move a broody chicken?
You can move a broody hen and her nest of hatching eggs. It is sometimes necessary to move broody hens and if you pick the right time of day it can be done easily with little risk of the hen leaving the nest.
Can you touch a broody hen and her eggs?
If You Bought Eggs for Your Broody Hen to Raise:
We need the protective bloom on the shell to stay intact. If you have an aggressive broody hen, wait until she gets up from the nest to eat or drink, then place the eggs in the nest. If she is letting you touch her, you can gently lift her and put the eggs under her.
Should you separate a broody hen?
The advantages of separation are to protect the broody hen and her eggs (or chicks) from the rest of the flock. A broody hen that stayed with the flock will very likely be disturbed more, at greater risk of broken eggs or an infestation and may be bullied because she has withdrawn from the flock.
How do you break a broody hen fast?
- Remove Her From The Nest Box.
- Close Up Your Nest Box.
- Put A Frozen Water Bottle In The Nest.
- Give Your Hen A Cool Water Bath.
- Strip The Nest Bare.
- Lock Her Out Of The Coop.
- Off To Jail.
- Give Her Eggs To Sit On.
Can I leave my broody hen in the coop?
While you could certainly leave your broody hen in with the rest of the flock, there are some things you’ll need to consider if you want each hatch to be successful. I have successfully allowed broody hens to hatch in my regular chicken coop right alongside my flock.
Should you move a hen sitting on eggs?
If she’s already been sitting on eggs, you can try moving them with her but I tend to have a little better success rate when I notice I have a broody hen, move her and get her settled in a chick-friendly spot, and then give her eggs to sit on. But you WILL need eggs on the destination nest to keep her interested.
How do you relocate chickens?
Using small crates that can hold two or three chickens is the best way to move your flock. The snug quarters will prevent movement during transportation and the company of other chickens will keep them calm.
What do I do with a broody hen?
If after all that your hen is still broody, you can remove her from the coop completely and place her in a cage with a wire bottom to it. This can be a large dog or cat carrier with chicken wire on the bottom of it, and room to move about in. Make sure to place food and water in the cage as well but no bedding.
How long will a broody hen sit on infertile eggs?
A broody hen may sit on unfertilized eggs for six or seven weeks before she gives up. Between the minimal diet and the increased body temperature, that’s not good for her health. A broody won’t lay eggs.
How long do hens stay broody?
A hen that is committed to hatching chicks is known as a broody. The state of being broody is controlled by instinct, hormones and lighting conditions. Left to her own devices, a broody will lay a clutch of eggs, then stop egg-laying and sit on them for 21 days (more or less) until they hatch.
Should I candle my broody hens eggs?
Candling the eggs
Your broody hen will usually be able to tell if an egg is rotten, and she is likely to push it out of the nest; however, it’s an idea to candle the eggs. Candling is where we shine a bright light through the eggshell in a darkened room to see whether the embryo is developing as expected.
Will a broody hen sit longer than 21 days?
Some broodies are potentially going to be in danger of heat exhaustion, as well. So when you have a broody who has stubbornly been sitting a nest for more than 21 days, take extra care with her. Check her over for infestations–and treat her if you find any. You may also want to treat the nest, just as a precaution.
What do you do with a broody chicken?
Create a separate environment for her using a small portable coop or crate. Removing her from the nesting boxes and eggs could help get her out of the broody mindset. Putting her in a cage with a wire bottom, open to the air, can help cool her underside and disengage her from the broody feeling.
How long can a broody be off her eggs?
Left unattended, a hen will stay broody for around 21 days, which is the time it takes to hatch a clutch of fertile eggs. After 21 days the behavior should stop, but sometimes, a hen will remain broody and it’s important to “break,” or stop a broody hen before she harms herself.
How many hours a day does a chicken sit on eggs?
The hen will then sit on the eggs for 21 days – only leaving the nest for short periods of time (about 20 minutes) to get feed, drink and generally have a run around. After 18 days, the chick will then start ‘pipping’ or breaking through the shell. You might notice your hen clucking to encourage the chick out.
6 Tips to Successfully Move a Broody Hen | Hawk Hill
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- Table of Contents:
Why Move a Brooding Hen
Move her With Eggs or Without
How I Move a Broody Hen without Disrupting her Brooding
1 Prep Your New Nest
2 Plan during the Day for a Nighttime Move
4 Practice Proper Prophylactics
4 Use Low or No Light
5 Support her Body & Minimize Movement
6 Close Confinement in New Nest
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Can you move a broody hen? – Cluckin
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How to move a broody hen
What to do if a nest move goes wrong
Where do you put a broody hen
How to Move a Broody Hen (With Her Eggs) – YouTube
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The Ultimate Guide to Broody Hens • The Prairie Homestead
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- Table of Contents:
What is a Broody Hen
Signs of a Broody Hen
What to Do With a Broody Hen
Moving a Broody Hen Pros and Cons
How Long Does it Take Chicken Eggs to Hatch
All About The Eggs…
What Should I Do On Hatching Day
Raising the Chicks After Hatching
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Can you move a broody hen? – Cluckin
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How to move a broody hen
What to do if a nest move goes wrong
Where do you put a broody hen
Can You Move A Chicken Sitting on Eggs? Here is how. – The Hip Chick
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- Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for Can You Move A Chicken Sitting on Eggs? Here is how. – The Hip Chick Make sure the area you relocate your broody hen to is a stress-free or a low-stress environment. Broody hens … Below we’ll discuss some broody hen issues, what you need to know before moving your hens, how you can move your hens..
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Broody Hen Behavior
Broody Hen Issues
Things to Consider Before Moving a Broody Hen
Final Thoughts
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Moving a Broody Hen…
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Can I move a broody hen and her nest? (chickens forum at permies)
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How to Stop a Broody Hen: 5 Humane Ways That Work – Garden Betty
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What does it mean when a chicken is broody
The 6 most broody chicken breeds
The least broody chicken breeds
What are the risks of a hen staying broody
5 easy ways to break a broody hen
Advice on moving broody hen — The Poultry Site Forum
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6 Tips to Successfully Move a Broody Hen
Hatching chicks from your own eggs- or convincing a motherly hen to raise a batch of hatchery chicks- is a fun way to experience a less popular side of modern chicken keeping:
Watching a line of chicks trail behind a mama hen as she teaches them to scratch and forage is a delightful scene for any chicken keeper.
It’s not as hard as you might think to hatch your own or even to convince your hen to adopt hatched chicks. One of the biggest challenges to do it, though, is that when your hen finally goes broody she’ll often be in a spot that’s not ideal for hatching or raising chicks.
Why Move a Brooding Hen?
Naturally, hens tend to “go broody” (the term for the hormonal changes that cause a hen to build a nest, fill it with eggs, and sit on it nearly 24/7) wherever they are used to laying eggs.
In modern coops, my hens are laying in nesting boxes that are elevated off the ground (where chicks might be injured if they fell) and/or shared with other hens. When a hen goes broody in a shared nest, they may steal eggs, get confused about which eggs they’ve been sitting on, let other hens sit on their eggs (which can leave eggs at irregular temperatures and/or break your mama-hen of her broodiness if another chicken chases her from a thieved nest.) Moving your broody hen may be necessary to keep chicks or eggs safe- but moving a disgruntled mama hen isn’t easy!
Move her With Eggs or Without?
If she’s already been sitting on eggs, you can try moving them with her but I tend to have a little better success rate when I notice I have a broody hen, move her and get her settled in a chick-friendly spot, and then give her eggs to sit on. But you WILL need eggs on the destination nest to keep her interested. I use wooden eggs to keep my hen busy while I procure eggs or chicks.
How I Move a Broody Hen without Disrupting her Brooding:
I have a particular bantam hen who- although she seethes with hatred towards me- is happy to go broody at least 4 times a year- or seemingly anytime I don’t collect eggs by noon! This hen, “Phyllis,” has happily been a mother to hatchery chicks, her own eggs, and even adopted eggs I placed under her. Over a dozen or so attempts to relocate her after going broody, I’ve managed to “break” her out of her broodiness a few times by making mistakes in handling her. If you’re trying to move your broody hen or encourage adoption, the following are a few tips I’ve picked up from trial and error and some sage chicken-raising advice from an older farmer.
When my hen starts to go broody, I transfer her to a nest in an overturned bucket in the stable. Making the secondary location easy to move (i.e. a bucket) makes it much easier to move her a second time if I need to.
1. Prep Your New Nest
Moving your brooding hen and then clanking around with cages and other chores can easily break a hen of broodiness. Prep your space and all the supplies you’ll and for the move in advance.
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I like to set my brooding hen up with a nest in a flexible/flat sided bucket or a dish busing tub. Moving her to a nest in a portable container makes it easy and low stress to move her from a quiet confined space where she’ll be happy sitting on eggs to a larger space to care for her growing chicks when they hatch.
for best results you’ll need:
2. Plan during the Day for a Nighttime Move
Moving a hen at night is exponentially more likely to be successful than a daytime move, but it will require planning in advance.
Ideally, a nighttime move goes so smoothly that the hen falls back asleep without noticing anything has changed. During daylight, set up your broody hen’s new nest with everything she’ll need, so when you return and move her you can be quick, quiet, and less disruptive. I like to move hens 2-4 hours after sundown or occasionally in the wee hours of the morning.
4. Practice Proper Prophylactics.
I’m kidding. And also not kidding! Basically: wear gloves, long sleeves, and if you spend much time with animals, invest in some scratch and bite-proof “high top” gloves.
Plan to cover your hen’s head with a towel as soon as you approach to move her. The towel blocks light and if she attempts to peck your hands the towel should add an extra layer of protection. Darkness under the towel while you move her will help keep her calm.
4. Use Low or No Light
Move your brooding hen at night and DO NOT TURN ON LIGHTS unless it’s absolutely necessary. The key to success is for the hen to be moved and settled into a new nest before she ever wakes up and darkness helps a lot. When I move Phyllis I carry her from the coop’s nesting box into a cage in the stable, but instead of using flashlights and overhead fluorescents to see where I’m going, I navigate using a headlamp with a red-light setting.
5. Support her Body & Minimize Movement
The first half dozen or so time I did this, I carried the hen by lifting her gently out of the nest, supporting her legs, and gently holding her wings down under the towel as I carried her. These attempts had a reasonable success rate, but my success rate went up when I started moving her in a tub.
Instead of carrying hens from point A to point B, I used a shallow flexible bucket or, later, a plastic bus tub that I would leave her in once I relocated her. Using a carry-able container to move her meant instead of going from Point A to Point B being held by a human (very stressful!) the only human touching involved was to lift her immediately from her nest into the tub, which was then relocated with her.
As you transport her to your brooder or other location, she may or may not be squawking, flapping, and pecking- don’t let go. Having well-protected arms is a big help if and when they get defensive.
6. Close Confinement in New Nest
If the move is very successful and your chicken settles back to sleep, you may have a docile and willing new nest occupant, as she wakes up the next morning in the new digs and thinks she must have fallen asleep there and the nighttime excursion was just a dream!
However some broody hens won’t be so docile about the move. Waking up in a new and strange location, they may want to flee- breaking their brood in the process. To help calm and settle your brooding hen after you move her, place her nest in a small dog crate or overturned laundry basket (the type with lots of large holes in the sides, weighted so she can’t scoot out) and cover the cage partially with a towel. The towel helps minimize distractions and may reduce stress about being in a new location.
For the first 8 hours, I recommend not providing food or water- any reason to get off her nest may break the brood right after you move a broody hen. The next morning, when typically the hen has adopted the nest as their own and is happy to stay put, I add a small feeder for food and water.
Some hens will protest placement on the new nest, however, and the protest isn’t necessarily a sign of failure. Many hens will immediately settle and be hard at work hatching eggs the next morning, but if your hen doesn’t immediately settle, don’t give up. Just keep your broody hen confined to that nest until she either adopts it or proves her brood is broken. Sometimes after a day or two of protest, my hens will actually settle down and return to brooding but if 2-3 days after the move your hen is clearly uninterested in hatching the eggs, return her to your flock and try again next time
Here is a photo of my broody hen in her nest (a flexible bucket on its side). Over her nest, I’ve placed a dog crate to encourage her to stay on the nest during the transition, and over the dog crate, I’ve placed a towel used during the previous night’s transfer to block light.
If you successfully move your hen, she can hatch eggs or even be coaxed into caring for hatchery chicks.
Can you move a broody hen?
You can move a broody hen and her nest of hatching eggs.
It is sometimes necessary to move broody hens and if you pick the right time of day it can be done easily with little risk of the hen leaving the nest. There is always the chance she will abandon the nest and not return to her clutch but if you are careful, all will be well.
You should always separate broody hens from the rest of the flock if you can because they are disruptive.
Hens often go broody in the communal nest boxes in the coop and they can’t be allowed to stay as it causes fighting, mixed up nest boxes and broken eggs. It is OK to move a broody hens to a broody coop or pen so as they can rear their chicks in peace away from the flock.
Below: I like to use large animal crates as broody nests, they are easy to move, secure and easy to clean out after the hatch.
I can move broody hens with a 80 to 90% success rate. It is breed and temperament dependant. My Barnies are really easy to deal with for the most part.
How to move a broody hen:
Always be ready and prepared ahead of time.
There are two ways to move a broody hen, The first is when the broody leaves her nest to eat and poop, you just make sure she goes back on the new nest. Hens get off the nest for around 15 minutes or so at a time and this gives you time to move the eggs and present her with the new nest when she returns.
Below: Wear gloves and be prepared to get pecked to death.
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Have the new nest ready with a hot bottle and them move the eggs when she gets off. You may need to provide your broody hen with a dish of food and water and remove her from the nest and allow her to eat and drink.
The second is to lift her gently of the old nest and move her to the new one. The problem with this method is hens can be quite attached to their chosen nest and you may have a fight on your hands. Broodies can be grumpy and I suggest leather gardening gloves!
With seasoned hens that are used to being handled a nest move is easy, some of mine even tuck the eggs back under themselves of their own accord one at a time as you present them to her.
Dusk is the ideal time.
Prepare the new nest and location.
Warm the new nest with a hot water bottle for a few minutes.You wouldn’t want to be getting into a cold bed.
The location must be dark and without bright lights. If you can read a newspaper it is too light.
When you pick her up make sure there are no egg hiding under her wings and around her legs or she may flap and break them when they fall.
Move quickly. Getting someone to move the eggs from one nest to the other while you move the hen can help.
Carry her quickly and support her legs and body with your hand to minimise her movement.
For the first night she must be kept confined and not allowed the run of the broody coop or she may try to move the nest.
Luckily most of my hens are used to being shuffled about and with some of them all I have to do is present them with the nest in a large dog crate and they take straight to it and settle themselves down.
What to do if a nest move goes wrong:
Livestock is to some extent unpredictable and things do go wrong sometimes.
There are two choices when things go tits up moving a broody hen, you can either return her to the original nest and try again the next night or you can shut her up in the dark in her new nest and hope she settles.
Where do you put a broody hen?
Broody hens need their own space. I use plastic moulded dog crates for the purpose as they are secure and easy to move. You can also cover them with cloth or towel to darken the environment if your hens are a little skittish.
The other advantage is you can put them in a run when they hatch and they are easy for the chicks to get in and out of.
You can make or buy special broody coops that are all on the same level and have no perches. It is also important to have the run of a broody coop covered if you have a lot of rain as wet chicks will perish easily.
The Ultimate Guide to Broody Hens • The Prairie Homestead
If I have a choice, I’ll almost always pick letting a broody hen hatch eggs over ordering eggs from the hatchery every single time.
However… that requires one important component– something I don’t always have.
A broody hen.
The topic of broody hens isn’t a horribly complicated one, but there are definitely some things to consider, so I decided to create this great big, giant, Ultimate Guide to Broody Hens resource to keep track of all the ins and outs of this not-always-common homestead phenomenon.
(This is a loooong post with lots of info, so use these links to click to the sections most relevant to you.)
What You’ll Learn In This Guide:
What Exactly is a Broody Hen?
Signs/Symptoms of a Broody Hen
How to Let a Broody Hen Hatch Eggs
How to Break a Broody Hen
How to Move a Broody Hen
How Long Does it Take a Chicken Egg to Hatch?
All About the Eggs (marking, candling, and more)
What To Do On Hatching Day
How to Care for the Hen & Chicks After Hatching
What is a Broody Hen?
A broody hen is simply a hen who wants to sit on her eggs and have babies. It seems like it should be the most common thing in the world, right? Well that would be case, other than many of our modern chicken breeds have had this instinct selectively bred out of them. When a hen goes broody, they stop laying eggs. Imagine the commercial egg industry if all the hens insisted on sitting on ALL of their eggs instead of laying an egg per day? It wouldn’t work very well.
Therefore, over the years, chicken breeders have considered broodiness an undesirable trait and have bred to avoid it. And that’s why it’s semi-rare to have a hen who insists on sitting on her eggs.
Signs of a Broody Hen
If you’re wondering if you have a broody hen, here are some signs to look for:
A broody hen can be aggressive. She might peck at you if you try to reach into the nest or take the eggs under her. She may also chase away other hens to protect her nest. Some hens even growl (yes, really!)
She might peck at you if you try to reach into the nest or take the eggs under her. She may also chase away other hens to protect her nest. Some hens even growl (yes, really!) She won’t leave her nest. Your broody hen will only get up from her chosen spot once or twice a day to eat, drink, and to poop.
Your broody hen will only get up from her chosen spot once or twice a day to eat, drink, and to poop. Speaking of poop, a broody hen will sometimes have larger poops (and a bit smellier) than normal.
(and a bit smellier) than normal. She may pull out her breast feathers and use them to line her nest .
. Once she has gathered between 8-12 eggs under her (this can take a few days or she might steal her flock-mate’s eggs), she will stop laying new eggs. She won’t get up from her nest, and will even refuse roosting its her flock at night.
What to Do With a Broody Hen
When you have a broody hen, you have two choices:
Let her hatch the eggs. Discourage her until she stops being broody.
Option 1: Let the Broody Hen Hatch Eggs.
When I have a (committed) broody hen, I almost always let her hatch her eggs. (Because I’m lazy and it’s pretty much like getting free chicks.) 😉
There’s no need for incubators, chick brooders, or heat lamps because mama hen will take care of everything. The hen will also help them learn to scavenge for food and keep them warm, and a hen typically has a better hatch rate than an incubator, too.
Another bonus: you can use a broody hen to help hatch other chicken’s fertilized eggs, or even turkey, duck, or quail eggs.
The only downside to chicks that are raised from a broody hen is that they generally are more skittish around humans than those raised in an incubator, but honestly, I’m cool with that.
If you are going to let your hen be broody, it’s important to first wait a couple days to see if your hen is completely committed to the process. Sometimes, a hen’s hormones/instincts will go back to normal after a few days. It depends on a variety of factors, (such as their age and breed), but nothing is worse than nest after nest of half-developed eggs…. If after a few days she’s still intent on being broody, here’s what to do:
If you have a rooster (read more owning roosters here), you probably already have a supply of fertilized eggs you can give to your broody hen (or she might have her OWN fertilized eggs under her already).
If you do NOT have a rooster, then your eggs aren’t fertilized, so you will need to purchase fertilized eggs from local farmers, local feed stores, or online. While you wait for those fertilized eggs to be delivered, you can put golf balls or fake eggs under her so she stays intent on being broody.
IMPORTANT: Give your broody hen 10-12 eggs to hatch, and put them under her at the same time so that they will hatch together. (See below for tips on marking the eggs.)
Option 2: Breaking a Broody Hen
Why would you want to discourage a broody hen? Here are a few points to consider:
Offspring from broody hens are usually more wild and less interested in humans. If you want a closer relationship with your chickens, then chicks from a hatchery are probably a better fit for you. You don’t want chicks right now. Perhaps it’s not the right season, or you just don’t have the space or resources for more chickens. You want chicken eggs to eat. Once a broody hen has her nest of eggs, she will stop laying, which can be frustrating for chicken-owners who either eat a lot of eggs or sell extra eggs for income.
So how do you “break” a determined hen from being broody? In order to stop a broody hen, you need to encourage her hormones to settle down and cool under her abdomen/vent area. There are a lot of theories/techniques on how to stop a broody hen, but here are a few of the most common:
Collect her eggs often . Sometimes multiple times a day… (Wear leather gloves when you do– she may be aggressive and peck at you.
. Sometimes multiple times a day… (Wear leather gloves when you do– she may be aggressive and peck at you. Move the broody hen from her nesting box . You will have to do this multiple times a day, too. Broody chickens are hardcore, man.
. You will have to do this multiple times a day, too. Broody chickens are hardcore, man. At night, remove the hen from her nest and gently place her on the roosting bar with her flock . Chickens have poor night vision and are creatures of habit, so she will most likely stay with her flock for the night.
. Chickens have poor night vision and are creatures of habit, so she will most likely stay with her flock for the night. Block the nest area that the broody hen has chosen . This will only work if you can reach her nesting box (sometimes, they choose inconvenient places).
. This will only work if you can reach her nesting box (sometimes, they choose inconvenient places). Take the nesting material out of her chosen nesting box/area . You risk the broody hen just pulling more feathers, but this tactic can work since it gets rid of the comfort she provided for her eggs.
. You risk the broody hen just pulling more feathers, but this tactic can work since it gets rid of the comfort she provided for her eggs. Place her nest (if it’s movable) into a well-lit area, and possibly noisy and active area, too . Your broody hen wants dark, cozy, warm, and quiet, so give her the opposite environment.
. Your broody hen wants dark, cozy, warm, and quiet, so give her the opposite environment. If your broody hen is especially stubborn, you might need to move her to a dog crate or wire cage/pen. Do not give her shavings or bedding and put the pen in the middle of the flock during the day. This should cool her underbelly enough to stop the broodiness. Leave the hen in the cage for 1 to 2 days (with food and water access), and when you take her out, watch to see if she goes right back to the nest box or if she goes to her flock.
Moving a Broody Hen: Pros and Cons
If you decide to let your hen stay broody, the next issue to consider is location. You can give your chickens the cutest nesting boxes in the world, with herbs and all the fixings inside, but still might decide they’d rather nest on top of the tractor or on the highest corner of the haystack (ask me how I know…).
If your hen has chosen a less-than-ideal location for her nesting adventures, it may make her more susceptible to predators or accidents.
So, should you move a broody hen to a safe nesting box area or leave her be? Let’s take a look at the pros and cons:
Why You Might Want to Move a Broody Hen and Her Nest:
So she can still socialize with the flock. If she is off in another location, you will need to reintroduce her and her chicks to the flock later on.
If she is off in another location, you will need to reintroduce her and her chicks to the flock later on. To keep her safe. If your hen has chosen a vulnerable location for her nesting adventures, it may make her more susceptible to predators or accidents.
If your hen has chosen a vulnerable location for her nesting adventures, it may make her more susceptible to predators or accidents. To ensure she has access to food and water.
So you can keep better track of the eggs. You can mark the eggs to get an idea of when they will all hatch (and to help you know which eggs might be bad or too new to hatch on time)
You can mark the eggs to get an idea of when they will all hatch (and to help you know which eggs might be bad or too new to hatch on time) So she can have more peace and quiet.
Why You Might Want to Leave the Broody Hen Where She is:
Moving her nest and eggs is incredibly stressful for her. In her stress, she might abandon the nest or crush some of the eggs.
In her stress, she might abandon the nest or crush some of the eggs. She chose a spot that she personally thinks is safe. Perhaps your actual nesting boxes are too hectic and she might know best. If she chose a place safe from predators and the elements, you might want to simply trust the broody hen’s instincts.
If you DO decide to move your broody hen, it is important to set everything up in advance. Prepare a nesting area for her before you move her, whether it’s one of the nesting boxes in your chicken coop, or in a safe and enclosed pen. Make sure the designated nesting area has access to food and water as well as some room for her to walk a bit and relieve herself.
Fill the nest with the same nesting material that she’s already using so she is accustomed to it.
Once you have everything set up, it’s best to wait until dark to move her . She will be sleepy, unable to see well, and hopefully calmer.
She will be sleepy, unable to see well, and hopefully calmer. Put on gloves to protect your hands from any protests on her part. (She’ll likely be grumpy).
Transport her eggs into the new nest.
Then go back for the hen. Carefully hold her against your body so that she cannot flap her wings.
Bring her to the nesting area but do not put her directly on the the nest . She might panic and crush her eggs.
She might panic and crush her eggs. Walk away and return later a little while later to check and see if she has accepted her new nesting location or if she is no longer broody.
How Long Does it Take Chicken Eggs to Hatch?
Chicken eggs will hatch 21 days after incubation, and duck eggs will hatch 28 days after incubation. (Be sure to mark the dates on your calendar!)
All About The Eggs…
OK, so you’ve got a broody hen in a safe place with her nest of eggs. At this point, there’s nothing wrong with letting nature do its thing and simply waiting until you hear the peeps of happy chicks in the nest.
However, if you want to stay a bit more involved, there are a few things you can do throughout the hatching process:
Marking Her Eggs
Once the hen has 8-12 eggs under her, it’s a good idea to mark the eggs with a pencil or sharpie marker. The eggs need to all hatch on the same day, so the marks will help you determine whether or not another hen may have visited the nest and “shared” some of her eggs.
If You Bought Eggs for Your Broody Hen to Raise:
If you purchased fertilized eggs for your hen to sit on, unwrap the eggs carefully and make sure you do NOT wash them. We need the protective bloom on the shell to stay intact.
If you have an aggressive broody hen, wait until she gets up from the nest to eat or drink, then place the eggs in the nest. If she is letting you touch her, you can gently lift her and put the eggs under her. If you gave her golf balls, fake eggs, or infertile eggs to keep her broody until your egg shipment arrives, remove the fakes as you give her the new ones.
Should I Candle the Eggs?
I don’t… Not for eggs under a broody hen at least. The only reason I would candle the eggs is if I was concerned the hen was sitting on a giant nest of unfertilized eggs, but for the majority of cases, the risk of disturbing the hen/nest isn’t worth the information you’ll gain.
Candling the eggs (shining a bright light on the egg to see what is inside) is almost like an ultrasound: you get to check up on the progress of growth. Candling eggs used to done with an actual candle, but now most people either use special equipment (like this candling device) or just a bright flashlight. If you use a flashlight, shine the light directly under the egg until it illuminates the contents. An underdeveloped egg will be clear. A developing egg will have blood vessels coming out of the center of the embryo. You should also see a clear area where the air sac is located. Eggs do best with very little interference, but if you absolutely must candle them, there won’t be much to see before day 7. And you absolutely should not disturb the eggs after day 17, so shoot for somewhere in that time frame.
Sometimes hens will know when an egg is not developing and will kick it out of the nest. If you notice an egg out of the nest, put it back the first time. Later, if you see the egg out of the nest again, you can candle the egg to check for development.
What Should I Do On Hatching Day?
Not much! Broody hens are devoted to their eggs and take care of everything else by instinct. More often than not, I only know the eggs have hatched when I see the chicks running around the barnyard with the hen.
It is tempting to get involved, but it’s best to let mama hen be in charge. You might see chicks struggling to get out of their eggs, but the eggs should not be removed from the nest. It’s best if you just leave them alone for hatching day, since your presence can stress the hen.
If it is a first-time mama hen, you might want to quickly peek in from time to time to make sure all is well as sometimes, VERY rarely a first-time mama hen will confusedly peck a hatching chick to death. Once the first few chicks are hatched, though, you can relax and let them do their thing.
Raising the Chicks After Hatching
You have three choices when it comes to raising your new chicks:
1. Leave the chicks with their mama and the flock
Leaving the hen and her chicks with the flock is the least disruptive option and is the one I usually choose.
This will allow the hen and chicks to continue to interact with the flock, and will also allow the chicks to get used to the pecking order, as well as learning to forage with the flock for bugs and greens. However, predators may be more of a concern with this option, and if you keep your flock in a very confined pen or run, it’s possible that some of the other flock members may attack young chicks.
2. Remove the mama hen and the chicks to a private brooding pen
If you remove the mama hen and the chicks due to conflicts with the flock, predators, or to save money on chicken feed, you will have to integrate them back with the flock later, which can be time-consuming. You will also have to provide food and water for both your flock and your brooding pen, which adds to your homestead chores.
(Re-introducing your flock to the mama hen and the chicks can go easier if your separated pen is visible to the flock so that they can all see each other.)
3. Remove the chicks from the hen and raise them in a brooder
This is the most time-intensive option, as you’ll need to keep a heat lamp on the chicks and watch them more closely. Honestly, I figure if I let the hen get this far, why not let her just finish the parenting process? It’s easier on me and she does a great job.
Moving a MAD Mama Hen
We had to move our last batch of hatched chicks to protect them from our very immature English Mastiff puppy… Let’s just say that things got a little western.
Beyond the Brooder…
Once you have figured out whether you are leaving the mama and her chicks with the flock or in a separate pen, there’s not much to do. She will keep them warm if they get cold, sleep on them to protect them at night, and teach them about food and water.
When the mama hen feels that the chicks are old enough to be on their own (around week 4 or 5), she will begin to distance herself from the chicks and may even peck at them if they follow her around. At some point, she will stop sleeping with them and you might find her right back in the nesting box with new eggs and you’ll have a broody hen on your hands once again.
Whew! I’m pretty sure that was (almost) everything you ever could have wanted to know about keeping, raising, moving, and breaking broody hens. Any tips or best practices you’d like to add? Leave a comment below and share your expertise!
Listen to the Old Fashioned On Purpose podcast episode #39 on this topic HERE.
More Tips on Raising Chickens:
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