Two broody hens

[wildgreen]

Two of my hens went broody at the same time a few days ago (an EE named Shelly and a barnyard mix named Cody) but Cody only lasted throughout the night and part of the morning, then quit. My Easter Egger, Shelly, however, has stuck it out! I marked the seven eggs she’s been laying on because we would love it if she hatched them. However, when I got home tonight and checked on Shelly, CODY had taken her spot and Shelly was in a different box on other eggs. I moved Cody off the marked clutch and put Shelly back on, since Shelly seems way more determined.

I plan on moving Shelly at the week mark to a private area with her clutch so the other hens stop trying to lay in her box or, in Cody’s case, have a fleeting broody moment and mess up Shelly’s progress. I guess my questions are - if I’d let Cody stay on those eggs and she again abandoned them, would Shelly move back to it or stay in the box she switched to when Cody took her spot? Should I move Shelly to a private spot sooner? I didn’t want to go through all the work of setting her up elsewhere too soon in case she quits.

Thanks in advance!

 

[DobieLover]

I plan on moving Shelly at the week mark to a private area with her clutch

There is a good chance of this not working.

if I’d let Cody stay on those eggs and she again abandoned them, would Shelly move back to it or stay in the box she switched to when Cody took her spot?

Very doubtful.

Should I move Shelly to a private spot sooner?

How long had she been setting the marked eggs?

I would start by putting Cody in a broody breaker and take her out of the game. 3 nights/days should get the job done.

Can you post a picture of where Shelly is currently setting?

A hen grafts to a nest site, not the eggs. You could put a dozen rocks in her chosen nest site and she would lovingly try to hatch them.

I always graft my broodies to a maternity nest away from the egg laying nest boxes. Once she truly grafts to her nest (I see her go back to that nest 3 days in a row after I move her there and manage her broody breaks), I will only then give her the hatching eggs I have selected. Otherwise, when you move a broody hen and her eggs to a new nest site and close her in, she may go into a panic trying to get back to her nest and can damage/destroy the hatching eggs in her distress.

The maternity ward in my coop is the old built-in brooder with its own 4x8 covered run. It is fully exposed to the coop and flock members can visit the setting mother during incubation and the mother can go out into the flock during her broody breaks. When I leave the door open to the ward, I will always do at least one managed broody break a day to inspect her nest for errant eggs and remove them. And to ensure that the hen is getting off the nest to go take care of herself.

 

[wildgreen]

There is a good chance of this not working.

Very doubtful.

How long had she been setting the marked eggs?

I would start by putting Cody in a broody breaker and take her out of the game. 3 nights/days should get the job done.

Can you post a picture of where Shelly is currently setting?

A hen grafts to a nest site, not the eggs. You could put a dozen rocks in her chosen nest site and she would lovingly try to hatch them.

I always graft my broodies to a maternity nest away from the egg laying nest boxes. Once she truly grafts to her nest (I see her go back to that nest 3 days in a row after I move her there and manage her broody breaks), I will only then give her the hatching eggs I have selected. Otherwise, when you move a broody hen and her eggs to a new nest site and close her in, she may go into a panic trying to get back to her nest and can damage/destroy the hatching eggs in her distress.

The maternity ward in my coop is the old built-in brooder with its own 4x8 covered run. It is fully exposed to the coop and flock members can visit the setting mother during incubation and the mother can go out into the flock during her broody breaks. When I leave the door open to the ward, I will always do at least one managed broody break a day to inspect her nest for errant eggs and remove them. And to ensure that the hen is getting off the nest to go take care of herself.

Thank you so much!

For context, I have nine hens and one rooster. Shelly is now on day four of laying on the clutch. She is in one of the nesting boxes in the coop (there are four total). When she takes breaks other hens will lay eggs in her spot. I’ve been removing those eggs.

This morning Cody is out and about as usual - after going broody the other night she got up the next morning and didn’t return back to her nest, and just repeated that pattern again now a couple days later, so is she truly broody?

Shelly’s current location is not ideal with all the traffic from the others. It is also the same area they sleep at night as their roost is in the coop, and there is a ramp from the ground floor of their run up to this coop. Chicks would not be able to handle the layout because of the steep ramp. The flock is let out every morning into their large yard.

I love the maternity ward idea but it wouldn’t be possible to add on to this specific area.

 

[PrettyBirdRocky]

I think it depends on how many extra meat(really autocorrect? Lol, nest) boxes you have. We have 18 boxes, 20 girls. One broody right now.

When she gets off to eat, someone inevitably lays in her nest. Sometimes she gets back on right nest, sometimes she doesn't. We just move her back. Provided no one is on her nest, she goes right back.

This is her third clutch and we move her closer to hatch to a small enclosed area into pen just to give her a safe nest area that isn't a jump for the babies.

But as reading all these posts on this forum, at times it's a hit or miss if moving them disturbs them or if something else does.

Good luck and hope she's a good mama for ya

 

[wildgreen]

I think it depends on how many extra meat(really autocorrect? Lol, nest) boxes you have. We have 18 boxes, 20 girls. One broody right now.

When she gets off to eat, someone inevitably lays in her nest. Sometimes she gets back on right nest, sometimes she doesn't. We just move her back. Provided no one is on her nest, she goes right back.

This is her third clutch and we move her closer to hatch to a small enclosed area into pen just to give her a safe nest area that isn't a jump for the babies.

But as reading all these posts on this forum, at times it's a hit or miss if moving them disturbs them or if something else does.

Good luck and hope she's a good mama for ya

Thank you! How close to hatching time do you move your broody?

 

[PrettyBirdRocky]

Thank you! How close to hatching time do you move your broody?

The first time it was after she hatched and brought them out of the nest, second was a week before. (We also didn't have our numerous boxes last time)

This time, I haven't moved her yet as she's closer to the ground this time around but have area for her and chicks to recover.

 

[ChookaPete]

A hen grafts to a nest site, not the eggs. You could put a dozen rocks in her chosen nest site and she would lovingly try to hatch them.

I always graft my broodies to a maternity nest away from the egg laying nest boxes. Once she truly grafts to her nest (I see her go back to that nest 3 days in a row after I move her there and manage her broody breaks), I will only then give her the hatching eggs I have selected. Otherwise, when you move a broody hen and her eggs to a new nest site and close her in, she may go into a panic trying to get back to her nest and can damage/destroy the hatching eggs in her distress.

The maternity ward in my coop is the old built-in brooder with its own 4x8 covered run. It is fully exposed to the coop and flock members can visit the setting mother during incubation and the mother can go out into the flock during her broody breaks. When I leave the door open to the ward, I will always do at least one managed broody break a day to inspect her nest for errant eggs and remove them. And to ensure that the hen is getting off the nest to go take care of herself.

If a broody hen has already become attached to a particular nesting box/site, how can she be grafted to another site (i.e. maternity ward/brooder coop)?

 

[Perris]

I plan on moving Shelly at the week mark to a private area with her clutch

I didn’t want to go through all the work of setting her up elsewhere too soon in case she quits

Shelly is now on day four of laying on the clutch

I would move her now. If you block her in temporarily, I would expect her to adjust to the new circumstances in a day of two, and your problems with Cody and other hens adding eggs should be resolved.

 

[wildgreen]

I would move her now. If you block her in temporarily, I would expect her to adjust to the new circumstances in a day of two, and your problems with Cody and other hens adding eggs should be resolved.

Thanks! I think I’ll do that.