Moving a broody

[SuzyB]

Im after a bit of advice if I may.

My speckledy went broody last week, she started stealing everyones eggs and growling at me when I took them off her. Id been toying with the idea of getting some eggs for her and after she stayed put nursing golf balls for 3 days I figured she really meant it.

So, Ive got hold of some millefluer sablepoot bantam eggs and some buff orpington bantam eggs. Ive gone for bantams because, apart from the fact they are gorgeous, my uncle has bantmas and will take any cockerels that might arrive.

I decided to use our large guinea pig hutch that is currently empty as a broody coop, removed the divider and sorted for her to go in the bedroom bit, in the dark. Lifted her out of the nesting box and put her in the hutch with 6 eggs and covered it. She didnt settle, in fact she played holy hell until I let her out. She raged around the garden for a while, shouting at everyone and tried to get to the highest point.

Meanwhile, I put the other 6 eggs I have in the nesting box, just in case, and sure enough 5 minutes later she's back in their, happy as larry back on them.

Thing is, there is room for the others to go in there and lay, but Im presuming she will keep stealing the eggs and adding them to her collection. Plus, what will happen if she successfully hatches - surely she and the chicks should be separated from the others?

Ive put a box in the run for the others to lay in, not that I think they will, but its the hatching bit Im worried about.

Any advice on how to persude a broody she would really be better off somewhere else?

The other thing is, when I lifted her, she felt very scrawny. Ive been putting a small bowl of pellets/corner & water next to her because she's not been off the eggs to eat or drink (its quite a way to the food/drinker) and I presumed she'd eat when needed. Do I need to force her to come off them every so often?

[Suechooks]

If you search this very subject was covered quite recently. I think the advice was to leave her till the eggs have pipped then move her, but check it out.
I know theyre better being fed corn rather than pellets and also check the hut for red mite as they are likely to attack a broody badly as she is a sitting target.
We'll look forward toseeing the chix-pix!

[darkbrowneggs]

Hi SuzyB
It best to move your broody away from the others, as she will keep taking the eggs. Organize her new place so it will be convenient when the chicks have hatched and after dark get her eggs from under her (leather garden gloves if you object to being pecked) get someone to carry them for you if you can't manage her and them.

Lift her carefully (make sure there are no eggs tucked under her wings or they will fall and break when you are moving her) Keep her wings close to her body and move her quietly. Put her eggs in the new nest, and put her with her head facing the eggs quite close to the new nest, and shine a torch so she can see them, she should want to go and cover them. If you put her straight on the eggs she might squawk off and break some.

The trick is to be slow quiet and do it in the dark, so she doesn't feel disturbed. Cover the new coop with a blanket for a day or two so she is in the dark. After this get her off the eggs to eat drink and poo, otherwise she will poo in the nest and the eggs will be spoilt.

If I have a good broody which is sitting tight I usually throw it (gently of course) in the air so it squawks and flutters, which encourages it to poo quickly it should then eat and drink and return to the nest.

When the chicks are hatched she will eat the chick starter with them, so should put on some weight, but it might be worthwhile considering if she need worming

If she really wont move to where you want her (which is not usual if you are using the blankets) then you can mark all the eggs she is sitting with a ring around their middles, then you will know which are hers when you take her off the nest to eat drink and poo.

Best of luck, broodies are usually successful
Sue

[RichmondHens]

Agree with the above. Don't worry if she does poo in the nest though. Some of mine do and the eggs still hatch anyway, regardless. Hard to believe really given the state of some of them. You should still try and clean the poo away if you can though.

If she doesn't like being moved at this stage then try again when the eggs are pipping. The danger with letting them sit in the nestbox is that with all the traffic of incoming laying hens the incubating eggs may get stamped on. I recently lost 3 chicks in eggs this way, for exactly the same reasons - dippy hen not wanting to be moved so let her sit in nestbox. In the end I took the remaining eggs away and gave them to another broody who hatched them successfully.

[Nicos]

I used to let my broodies just get on with their sitting in one of the communal nesting boxes- just marked her eggs and took away any extras during the day.
Never had a broken egg- but to be honest I think I've been lucky!

This last time I used a small rabbit hutch and to be honest it was much much easier- esp once the chicks had hatched.

I let my chicks run with their mom by about day 3 in with the rest of the banties - and the 2 cockerels.
My heart was in my mouth when the lads went over to have a look- but even they were gentle with the babies.
Mom just told the other gals to clear off if they got too close- or just moved away with them to a quieter area.
Mine free range and the mom with chicks would take them back to the hutch when it rained or got too hot and sunny - or cold.

I've never had probs mixing my chicks with the rest of the flock- cos they'd do that in nature anyway. But- then again- maybe I've been lucky yet again???

[Nicos]

Oh - and yes- one of mine had to be encouraged to get off her eggs to eat and drink.

Oh- and get your gas mask ready for the poo!!!

I've never done the corn feed but to be honest that sounds a really good idea!

[SuzyB]

Thanks for the great advice.

I think I'll try move her again tonight when it goes dark. I am concerned about the traffic around her and also red mite now the warmer weather is upon us. She growls at me in the mornings when I stroke her, but doesnt peck. I might try and pick up the top lawyer of newspaper/wood shavings too, maybe if it smells like home she wont mind so much.

Its easy to tell the eggs apart which is one thing, she's sat on banty eggs which are teeny tiny compared the ones the other girls lay

[jessmorris]

Golly - did the rest of your flock really leave the chicks alone? I have 8 week old chicks (just starting 2nd moult) and thought I would have to keep them apart from the rest of the flock until they were 5 months old! They will be on growers pellets til then anyway won't they? How do you make sure that the chicks eat the right pellets, or don't you worry? I'd love my lemon pooters to run with the flock, they're as big as the modern game banties now anyway (bar the legs of course!). What does anyone else do??

[Nicos]

Jess....As my chooks free range ,the chicks are offered growers, but mostly eat insects and seeds from the field!...I sometimes wonder whether or not we fuss alittle bit too much about getting everything just perfect!

Suzy- fingers crossed it works for you!

[SuzyB]

Thanks Nicos but it didnt go well at all.

Waited til it was very dark, moved her and the eggs as quickly and as smoothly as I possible but she just didnt take to them. I shone the torch on them as suggested, she wasnt interested so I left her to it hoping she'd settle.

This morning she was sat at one end of the hutch with the eggs at the other, buried under straw.

I let her out and she went straight to a dust bath. Which is fine if its put her off the idea, even though its disappointing, but if she decides to go back to the nesting box, (which Ive cleaned out and put a divider in now) will the eggs be ok to go back under her now she's left them? She was only sat on them for one full day but theyve had 10 hours of being neglected now?

[jessmorris]

Good point - its so hard to know what to do when you're starting out, and experience can't be bought! Mmm wonder if I should put my 8 weekers in with the flock? They're not with their mama any more.......................

[RichmondHens]

SuzyB - The eggs will be fine at this stage. Interruption in incubation doesn't usually harm them in the first day or two. It's at the later stages that they mustn't cool off too much. Time the hatch day from when the hen starts sitting properly on them.

You could do two things, either let her sit on them in the original site, ie the nestbox, and move them when they pip, or try her again in the separate coop on non important eggs, fake or just old eaters, and give her a day to settle, then pop the intended eggs under. I have to say she sounds like my naughty Welsummer, who really lived up to the reputation of being a bad mum, and I have been spoilt by having excellent bantam broodies for years who pretty much hatch to order, bless' em. Whatever you decide to do, good luck.

[RichmondHens]

Good point - its so hard to know what to do when you're starting out, and experience can't be bought! Mmm wonder if I should put my 8 weekers in with the flock? They're not with their mama any more.......................

If they are to live with the main flock then you could start introducing them now, or wait just a couple more weeks till they have gained in size a little more. They will be picked on at first but things will settle down over time.

I tend to let mine grow on in a separate enclosure till almost full size before introducing them, but I have more space than most people, so I appreciate this is not a practical solution for everyone. My growers stay as a mixed group until the cocks start getting naughty (usually at about the 12 week mark), then I will take the pullets out and fatten up the boys on their own.

[SuzyB]

Thanks for the advice.

Think I'll leave her in the nesting box. She's the one that kept escaping from the garden a while back, then a few weeks ago she managed to get over the top of the shed and had a wander round our cul-de-sac while I was out. I came back from shopping and a neighbour handed her back in a box. Apparently she'd had a great time in everyone's front gardens with no one quick enough to catch her, until a neighbour called in a friend who has chickens who came armed with grapes and a box. I know how determined she can be so I think thats the best bet!

[Nicos]

Ha!...I love the idea that she went of for a wander!

Your neighbours will tell the tale for many a year with a huge smile on their faces!

My Betty used to escape to lay eggs in the front garden , or worse still in the long grass in the field next door...once she had chicks she never did it again


I think you're wise