Question on a broody hen -

[hedgehog]

I placed my broody hen on a nest in the isolation cage about 24 days ago. This is a small cage I keep for hens that need a rest. She hatched 4 healthy chicks who are mostly hiding under her wings. they have food and water. So far, she seems more interested in continuing to sit the remaining 3 eggs than anything else.

Should I move her and the chicks? Steal the eggs? Leave them alone?

[Arkansas Granny]

1. I haven't raised chickens in a long time, so my advice may not be the best, but here goes.

After 24 days, those eggs are not going to hatch. I don't think it makes much difference whether you remove the eggs or not. She will eventually leave the nest when she feels the chicks are ready. If they have food and water available, they won't go hungry.

ETA: You mentioned you have her in a small cage. Is there enough room for her to get up and move around with the chicks?

[hedgehog]

2. She has enough room to sit down and turn around, but not

to move much more than 6" in every direction.

I think I'll steal the eggs tonight after dark, then see how she behaves in the morning.

[fasttense]

3. I've done it both ways.

I've left the eggs to see if they would hatch and the chickens eventually (after about 3 days) left the nest.

Then I've removed the remaining eggs and the chickens were just fine with that too.

I would give the chicken more room to move around. She wants to show those chicks how to scratch and to follow her (I've had baby chicks ride on their Mom's back to keep up with her.) So she needs room to move to do that. I've also had hens accidental kill their chicks because they had no room to move around and they stepped on them.

There is no sight as pretty as a hen with her chicks following behind.

[hedgehog]

4. Well, one of the chicks didn't make it overnight - :(

I don't know if the mother crushed it or it just wasn't healthy enough to live.

So I made a nesting spot - straw, nearby feed and water - gabbed the three chicks and popped them there, then grabbed the hen and put her there. She settled down and covered the chicks. I'll have to watch what happens next. I do have a chick cage ready to go with a heat lamp if needed.

[hedgehog]

5. And.... she's moved herself and the chicks twice, but seems to be

settled for now. She's keeping them and herself in the quieter side of the coop. (For some reason, our coop has two rooms.)

[hedgehog]

6. She had 2 chicks with her this morning, now she's down to one!

There's no sign of the missing chick.

I think I understand why hatcheries are a big business!