Moving broody hens
You have a broody hen, you want to hatch chicks but you can't leave your hen in her current nesting spot. What do you do?!?! This article covers everything you need to know about moving broody hens.
Why move a broody hen?
There can be a few reasons why you have to move your broody hen. I will write down the problem and a solution.
1. Predators
You have to have a safe and secure place for your hen to hatch and raise chicks. You don't want to risk your chicks slaughtered by racoons, rats, flock mates, snakes, foxes, hawks, and other predators.
You can: make your coop and run more predator-proof, but it takes more time, money and energy.
2. Hens laying eggs under your broody
Your hen will get new eggs laid under her every day. That can lead to chicks hatching at different times. Your hen will abandon the eggs as soon as the first batch of chicks hatched.
You can: Mark the eggs so you can easily spot the fertile eggs. It's best to use a pencil.
3. Your hen getting pushed about in her nesting box
This is why I moved both my broody hens. They got pushed out of their nest multiple times a day because they started brooding in the most favoured nest. Their non-bantam flockmates pecked them out of their nest.
You can: separate a piece of the coop. But be sure to give your broody hen some food, water and a dust bath.
PROS and CONS of moving broody hens
PROS: more peace for the whole hatching period.
If you move your hen closer to your house she is less vulnerable
to predator attacks.
More chicken TV
CONS: Your hen might stop brooding if your stress her out too much although some hens are so determined in hatching chicks nothing can stop them.
Less socialization.
! have everything prepared before you move your broody hen!
You will need:
That was the question I had before I moved my broody hen.
I read a few articles and made my own way of moving broody hens. And it worked 2 times in a row!
So the first step in moving broody hens is getting her attached to some eggs. Give her dummy eggs and let her sit on them for 3 to 7 days. I know it sounds like such a long time but it's worth waiting. Once she sat on dummy eggs for some time you decide to move her. What next? My tip for a successful move is to wait till it's relatively dark outside. Then sneak into your chicken coop ( or a place where your hen is brooding) and cover her in a towel.
Try to be very quiet. It usually is a better idea to carry your hen outside of her nest because she can spook and fly out in panic and harm herself. It always helps to have somebody to help you carry all the things. Be sure to put dummy eggs under her so she will want to stay sitting on them. Then gently put your hen in her nest. Take the towel off your hen. Okay, this might sound cruel but you have to box your hen in her nest for 8 hours. Broody hens can stay without food and water for up to 48 hours. If you are worried about your hen pooping in hr nest you needn't worry my broody hens can stay without pooping for a whopping 3 days. I like to stay beside the new broody coop for around 5 minutes and then check if momma is sitting peacefully on her nest ( she will probably be asleep). When boxing time is over have a look at your hen and free the opening to her run. She will probably stay sitting on her nest. If she stays give her real eggs.
If your hen looks angry, stressed out or just terribly unhappy, give her some time to eat, drink, poop and dust bath. Then box her in her nest for another 8 hours. If that method doesn't work let your hen back to her original flock and she might go broody again.
Did this article help? Do you have any questions? Let me know down in the comments!
You have a broody hen, you want to hatch chicks but you can't leave your hen in her current nesting spot. What do you do?!?! This article covers everything you need to know about moving broody hens.
Why move a broody hen?
There can be a few reasons why you have to move your broody hen. I will write down the problem and a solution.
1. Predators
You have to have a safe and secure place for your hen to hatch and raise chicks. You don't want to risk your chicks slaughtered by racoons, rats, flock mates, snakes, foxes, hawks, and other predators.
You can: make your coop and run more predator-proof, but it takes more time, money and energy.
2. Hens laying eggs under your broody
Your hen will get new eggs laid under her every day. That can lead to chicks hatching at different times. Your hen will abandon the eggs as soon as the first batch of chicks hatched.
You can: Mark the eggs so you can easily spot the fertile eggs. It's best to use a pencil.
3. Your hen getting pushed about in her nesting box
This is why I moved both my broody hens. They got pushed out of their nest multiple times a day because they started brooding in the most favoured nest. Their non-bantam flockmates pecked them out of their nest.
You can: separate a piece of the coop. But be sure to give your broody hen some food, water and a dust bath.
PROS and CONS of moving broody hens
PROS: more peace for the whole hatching period.
If you move your hen closer to your house she is less vulnerable
to predator attacks.
More chicken TV
CONS: Your hen might stop brooding if your stress her out too much although some hens are so determined in hatching chicks nothing can stop them.
Less socialization.
! have everything prepared before you move your broody hen!
You will need:
- towel
- flashlight
- gloves ( if your hen is aggressive)
That was the question I had before I moved my broody hen.
I read a few articles and made my own way of moving broody hens. And it worked 2 times in a row!
So the first step in moving broody hens is getting her attached to some eggs. Give her dummy eggs and let her sit on them for 3 to 7 days. I know it sounds like such a long time but it's worth waiting. Once she sat on dummy eggs for some time you decide to move her. What next? My tip for a successful move is to wait till it's relatively dark outside. Then sneak into your chicken coop ( or a place where your hen is brooding) and cover her in a towel.
Try to be very quiet. It usually is a better idea to carry your hen outside of her nest because she can spook and fly out in panic and harm herself. It always helps to have somebody to help you carry all the things. Be sure to put dummy eggs under her so she will want to stay sitting on them. Then gently put your hen in her nest. Take the towel off your hen. Okay, this might sound cruel but you have to box your hen in her nest for 8 hours. Broody hens can stay without food and water for up to 48 hours. If you are worried about your hen pooping in hr nest you needn't worry my broody hens can stay without pooping for a whopping 3 days. I like to stay beside the new broody coop for around 5 minutes and then check if momma is sitting peacefully on her nest ( she will probably be asleep). When boxing time is over have a look at your hen and free the opening to her run. She will probably stay sitting on her nest. If she stays give her real eggs.
If your hen looks angry, stressed out or just terribly unhappy, give her some time to eat, drink, poop and dust bath. Then box her in her nest for another 8 hours. If that method doesn't work let your hen back to her original flock and she might go broody again.
Did this article help? Do you have any questions? Let me know down in the comments!
.