Moving a setting hen?

[Cass]

I would move her because she'll need to be by herself when the chicks start hatching. I've had to move my broody buff orpington on many occasions - I don't have a rooster and in the past when I've "borrowed" fertilized eggs, I've wound up with mostly roosters. This year I sacrificed two regular eggs and let her sit on them in the main box for about 3 days and then I moved her to an separate enclosure - she ignored the eggs and sat off of the nest so I kept trying for several days and finally she settled down on the eggs. During the third week I bought six newly hatched pullets and put them under her, three at a time, while I removed the eggs. She was surprised to say the least! But she immediately went into mothering mode. She's raised several batches on chicks and is a very good Mother! But she becomes VERY hostile towards the other hens when she has chicks so I would definitely give her separate space.

It helps if you hit the "quote" in the bottom right of the post you are replying to. Everyone then knows who you are giving advice to and it saves a lot of confusion on everyone's part.

And, no, you don't have to move her. I have 2 broodies raising chicks right now in an over crowded coop. Sometimes it helps the momma hen to be moved to a separate location, but you don't have to move a broody. I am pretty sure that our grandparents didn't do so, they just said "survival of the fittest" and let nature take it course. (Actually my aunt never did (one generation closer than our grandparents) and she lost a few weaker chicks, but mostly she had more chickens than she had space and was always giving them away each spring)

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

To anyone starting out and still trying to figure out nest box situation. Whatever you choose for nest boxes, make sure they are independently moveable. That way if a hen decides to sit in the favorite nest box you can move her to another location, box and all. Don't put something back into the favorite spot for a few days, until she has adjusted to where you moved her too, however or she will leave her eggs and go back to the original spot.

I agree with this advice. I put removable trays in my nesting boxes.

 

[dpuleo]

I just had my first chick hatch.  Only 1 out of 4 eggs.  My problem is that the other hens are treating mom like a new addition.  An outsider...  As soon as she left the nest for the first time with the chick, they beat on her till her comb had bled all over her head.  This only took about 5 minutes to happen.

I was able to get in there and kick the other chickens out of the run to assess the damage.  She was ok, just a little cut on the comb.  The chick managed to make it despite the 4 or 5 peck blows from the others.

I have since isolated mom and chick from the others inside the run.

My question is, when/how should I eventually re-introduce them to the flock?  This new mother has always been at the bottom of the pecking order.

I have my mom and chicks in the same pen but with chicken wire to keep them separate. They can still see each other.

 

[Dylon]

I moved mine for a while. I let the chicks get to be a week old and then put the mom and chicks back in with the flock and it seems to be going great. The other chickens are curious but nothing bad has happened.. yet

 

[FoxyLoxy19]

Can anyone give me a little bit of help???
I have a silkie batam just started to sit about a week ago, the other hen also that was with the rooster has now gone clucky and is sharing the eggs with the other hen.....they are in a removable nesting box.
They are so squashed up it's not funny....ha ha ha
What will happen when they hatch will they just share the chickens...or???
Also does anyone recommend that I take the hens out of the roosters cage as they near the hatching time....???

 

[rkalgren]

We have had hens share mother duties from a shared nest several times.

 

[Cass]

Can anyone give me a little bit of help???
I have a silkie batam just started to sit about a week ago, the other hen also that was with the rooster has now gone clucky and is sharing the eggs with the other hen.....they are in a removable nesting box.
They are so squashed up it's not funny....ha ha ha
What will happen when they hatch will they just share the chickens...or???
Also does anyone recommend that I take the hens out of the roosters cage as they near the hatching time....???

Is the rooster a mature adult or just a randy teenager? If he is a mature adult and treats his ladies nicely then he will help protect the chicks and show them how to do things in the chicken world so there is no need to move the nest out of the cage they share with the rooster. If he is young and disrespectful it would be wise to make a space the chicks can hide from him until they get bigger and can protect themselves.

And yes, they will share the chicks...co-parent them, so to speak.

(NOTE to folks new to this forum: Notice how I hit the "quote" button in the lower right hand side of the post I was replying to. Doing so ends confusion as to who you are offering advice and answer to. )

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

I have my mom and chicks in the same pen but with chicken wire to keep them separate. They can still see each other.

I moved mine for a while. I let the chicks get to be a week old and then put the mom and chicks back in with the flock and it seems to be going great. The other chickens are curious but nothing bad has happened.. yet

x3 When I've tried this method, it seems to work the best for me/my flock. If the broody hen and her clutch haven't already been put in a pen on the coop floor (no wire on the bottom of the pen) to help keep her organized, then at about hatching time she goes into the pen and stays there until the chicks are mobile enough to hop up on a little platform for feed and water, then I take the cage away but leave the nest where it was on the floor. They will bed down in the nest on the floor for another week or two until the chicks are mobile enough to hop up into the nesting boxes at night.

 

[Dylon]

x3 When I've tried this method, it seems to work the best for me/my flock. If the broody hen and her clutch haven't already been put in a pen on the coop floor (no wire on the bottom of the pen) to help keep her organized, then at about hatching time she goes into the pen and stays there until the chicks are mobile enough to hop up on a little platform for feed and water, then I take the cage away but leave the nest where it was on the floor. They will bed down in the nest on the floor for another week or two until the chicks are mobile enough to hop up into the nesting boxes at night. 

I really think that week separate from the flock gives them time to toughen up

 

[Dylon]

x3 When I've tried this method, it seems to work the best for me/my flock. If the broody hen and her clutch haven't already been put in a pen on the coop floor (no wire on the bottom of the pen) to help keep her organized, then at about hatching time she goes into the pen and stays there until the chicks are mobile enough to hop up on a little platform for feed and water, then I take the cage away but leave the nest where it was on the floor. They will bed down in the nest on the floor for another week or two until the chicks are mobile enough to hop up into the nesting boxes at night. 

I really think that week separate from the flock gives them time to toughen up