Hatching eggs and moving a broody - advice please!

[Millie1]

I've decided to put half a dozen eggs under my broody Orpington. She has been sitting on unfertilised eggs for the past 2/3 days. At the moment she's in the nesting box in the coop with the other two girls.

I've read mixed reports of moving broody hens. The advice I have read is to do it at night, move a couple of her warm eggs with her and keep her covered with something for a day and let the light in gradually ... and hopefully she'll stay put. Then put the fertilised eggs in. On the other hand I've read more tales than enough of this putting her out of broodiness.

Any advice please on what to do. She spent most of last summer broody and if I locked her out of the coop, she sat beside it for days on end. I can move her to a broody box (ie dog kennel made nice and cosy) attached to her run with access to half the run. The hens free range so run isn't used except for henhouse access. Or I can leave her where she is and plan to move her and chicks to above as soon as they hatch.

Over to the hen-experts

Thanks.

I usually put the eggs in the broody box, put the hen in. She'll usually fuss and try to get out, leave her alone and she will eventually sit on the eggs. Sometimes it can take a few hours. TBH if they are broody they'll sit on a stone. The reason you do it at night is that they're just more likely to go in the henhouse sooner. I wouldn't use warm eggs - just start from the cold hatching eggs.

I have had chicks hatch out in one of the henhouses and they were fine but if you get another broody hen they try to steal each others eggs so it's not ideal.

Good luck

Thanks MissBee. She moved last night without a murmur and has happily sat there today - with the door closed. Tomorrow, I'll open the door and hoof her out for a break. Hopefully she'll go back. Eggs arrive tomorrow!