Having a broody nest in the main coop

[vicky]

My broody that I'd like to hatch under will only sit in the main coop (3 nestboxes). Move her to the littler broody coop (right next door) and she's pacing the mesh to escape, back to the main coop and happily sitting on her nest again....We've been playing this game for about a week and she does the same every time.
She's pretty feisty and not bothered by the other hens but I'm worried about when the eggs hatch, keeping the chicks safe and giving them seperate food. Could I move her just after they hatch?
Has anyone hatched in the main coop - and any problems?

[Nicos]

I have 4 nesting boxes in the main coop.
I've always let my broodies sit on their eggs in there cos I've no-where else to put them!
Problem is that you really need to make a secure barrier to keep the others out of that box as they'll want to lay in there .
I've used chicken wire in the past but they've pulled it away to get in to lay- even if there are 3 other boxes to lay in!!They sometimes go broody if they get in there as well...and as neither knows who is sitting on what egg , there's a chance one gets neglected and goes cold.
We now use a small box with a mesh front and keep her locked in there all the time. We let her out for a stretch etc twice a day although she's always very reluctant to leave the eggs.
When the chicks hatch we leave the box open and they can come and go as they wish.
The other chooks and 2 cockerels are fine with them although we did have a few worrying moments the first time!!

I think it really depends on how docile your other chooks are- but once the chicks hatch, mom won't leave them!

[Suechooks]

I had this problem too. She insisted on sitting in the corner of the main coop where they all lay. I did all you've tried to no avail. Richmond hens advised me to move her when eggs were pipped, however the night before they were due I went to put a barrier in front and heard a little cheeping noise and one had already hatched so I took the chick and the remaining egg and put her in the ark. The other egg never hayched though there was a fully developed chick in there. One of the eggs got broken half way through and another was dropped when I was looking under her for fresh eggs, which is obviously the risk you take leaving them in the nest box
A second one went broody 2 weeks ago and I kept shutting her in a cat carrier overnight with a pot egg - success! The coop is quite large so I've put a dog cage in there and put the cat carrier inside so she has a little self-contained maisonette with en suite facilities! The others don't bother her and she comes out for a dust bath and food and drink while the others are free-ranging even though she has food and water in the dog cage.
Good luck!

[SuzyB]

I had the same problem with a broody last year, each time I moved her to the broody coop she paced and squaked and wouldnt sit so worried about the eggs going cold, Id let her back in the main coop and she'd settle in the nesting box and Id have to transfer her eggs back.

In the end I took the eggs off her, put them in the inccy and put her in the broody coop with some rubber eggs and just left her to it. Without the worry of her neglecting her eggs, I could just leave her a couple of days to decide whether she really wanted to sit and eventually she did. Then I gave her her eggs back. She was fine after that.

[RichmondHens]

Sometimes they are just not ready enough to sit alone. You will know when they are properly broody as nothing will shift them. They go into a trance almost as if they are hypnotised. Then again, some are just plain awkward ...................

I have had hens do the same thing, 9 times out of 10 it is because they just need a little longer before they brood properly. but there's always the odd one who won't be moved. It is risky keeping them in the nestbox but as long as you can take the freshly laid eggs away frequently and you don't have too many hens in and out disturbing her then she should be OK. The danger comes at pipping time; once the hen can hear the chicks peeping she gets much more protective and can trample the hatching chick as she tries to defend the nest.

If she really doesn't want to move then leave her be but be sure to move her when the eggs pip or have just hatched.

[motherhen]

It's best to take them out, the other hens will then not get bad habits like laying out of nest, you have no worries about the chicks and the other birds attacking them, if you move her fairly early she will not stress and damage her eggs or hatching chicks. Then you also do not have to worry that the eggs you are collecting have started to incubate.

[chris]

Would the other hens attack the chicks then? What's the reason for this? Something 'new' in their coop?

[motherhen]

It would depend on the breed of bird some are more tolerant, when I had Buff Orpingtons they were so sweet they would steal each others eggs when they were broody and even share chicks.

[jessmorris]

I've had two leggy modern game bantams share one (Pekin) chick between them! Aww!

In fact, I was cleaning out the hutch where the Pekin and her 3 chicks are the other day and one of the modern game girlies kept jumping in. I think she wanted to brood the babies too, but I turfed her out. One mum is enough for now!

[kirsty b]

I had two ex-batt hens brood together and hatch 11 chicks between them then share motherhood. They were good as gold, because when one got up for a stretch the other would fluff up even more and cover all the eggs, then they would swap. Really was very sweet. None of the other hens bothered them because they defended all the chicks once they were all big enough to mix together.

On the flip side, I had a banty go broody and she would not be budged, so gave her some eggs to sit, but the others would not leave her alone, because she was small they kept pushing her around trying to get on nest. Was a nightmare and hatch failed.

[Hilary B]

On the relatively few occasions I was willing to let a broody sit, I always moved her to where I wanted her before giving her any 'real' eggs that could get broken.If she won't settle, it becomes a 'sin bin' if she does, THEN you give her the eggs to hatch. Suzy B that sounds like a good solution!

[vicky]

Following the advice here she was returned to the broody coop for one last try. I think she must be a grape too and has read what's been written, as she suddenly decided she was ready to be by herself and now barely budges from the nest. So the eggs are on their way now...
She is terribly fierce and attacks me evily if I so much as open the door to have a peek!