How to Move a Broody Hen (With Her Eggs)

Here is an easy way we've found to move our broody hens to a better location to set and raise her chicks. Broody hens can be unpredictable, but this often works for us.

[@mrskatiemacdonald]

Fast forward to May 2023, thank you for this video, I just moved my broody hen and all the eggs exactly like you did, easy peasey..

[@ChickenHues]

Yay! I’m glad she moved well for you!

[@free1Xfree1]

I did it exactly as mentioned, it worked. I moved it with the same looks like box. 100%

[@ChickenHues]

Great! Let us know when the chicks hatch! :)

[@ginapost2182]

Another wonderful video. Thank you for sharing your experiences!

[@ChickenHues]

Thanks, Gina! :)

[@yourthighness2340]

It worked like a charm!! Thank you!

[@ChickenHues]

That’s great to hear! I love it when it works!

[@Sylvana1950]

I have my very first broody hen and have been having exactly the problem you describe. The other hens are laying on top of hers and then she leaves her own out in the open trying to cover all the new ones. I am going to try moving her tonight. I have another little coop like yours, just a little smaller, but it's in a fenced in area within the big chicken run so she'll be right in the middle of the action without having to contend with the aunties laying eggs in with hers. I loved the suggestion of the head lamp. I'm going to go get some fresh pine shavings today and some chicken starter feed, since I read that she can use the extra protein and then I'll have it for when the chicks hatch, if we're successful. She's VERY calm about me fussing around her even in the daytime, so I think this will go well. I'll check in tomorrow and let y'all know.

[@ChickenHues]

Keep us posted! :)

[@Sylvana1950]

Well, it appears this was a total fail. Moved her and her eggs last night and this morning she seems to have abandoned the next and become a normal chicken again. She had a big nesting box, food and water and a large run within the big run. After two weeks sitting on her eggs I confess I'm very disappointed. Did it at night and when I went to bed she was sitting on them, around 8 p.m. If I had an incubator I guess I could have hatched them that way. May consider getting one but would prefer a hen raise them the old-fashioned way.

[@Sylvana1950]

I just rewatched your video and I may have made two mistakes -- I didn't lock her in, which I could have done. And I may have done it with too much light. Although when I went to bed she was sitting on them. I guess I'll never know...

[@ChickenHues]

That stinks! Sometimes it just doesn't work and moving even snaps them out of being broody. I had a hen that absolutely couldn't/wouldn't be moved. I had another hen that decided she was done 3 days before her eggs were supposed to hatch. Ugh!

[@Sylvana1950]

Well she's back at it. 3 eggs so far. Same place. Thing is she doesn't really mind me taking the eggs that much and giving them back. She squawks a bit, but moves over and then uses her beak to tuck them back under if i don't get them far enough. She's pretty obliging. It was SO HOT today...101 degrees. I felt so sorry for her. Gonna spray her with water in a spray bottle tomorrow. Put her waterer real close. Hope she's drinking enough. Thanks so much for your encouragement. This is a little like alchemy...some magical thing that goes on in a bird's head that only the divine can understand.

[@cyabvabi5373]

Thanks for the valuable info.

[@ChickenHues]

You're welcome and thanks for watching!

[@lindyj2011]

That was very interesting and informative

[@peaceatferngully8369]

Oh my gosh I have an awesome Broody and this is my first time hatching out my own baby chicks. I have a very similar setup to yours and I'm going to try it later tonight exactly how you did it cuz she is literally hogging all of the eggs LOL she can't be comfortable on that mound😂 I hope it works my grandkids would love the babies and I don't mind a few more chickens🤞🙏

[@ChickenHues]

We’d love to hear an update! I hope your broody does great!

[@peaceatferngully8369]

It worked! 🤗 thank you so very much!

[@cldymond83]

We've failed with 2 clutches in the coop, because other hens kept kicking her out to lay, I'm absolutely gonna try this!

[@ChickenHues]

That gets so frustrating when they keep moving to new nest boxes because of the other hens! I hope this works for you!

[@-.-_123]

Thank you! Im going to try this. One of my hens is in the corner of my yard with 8 eggs under a bush and its not safe. I'll try moving her tonight.

[@ChickenHues]

How did it go?

[@thomashancock8361]

Just subscribed I am 16 and love farming

[@ChickenHues]

Welcome and I’m so glad You’re here! Do you farm now!

[@thomashancock8361]

@@ChickenHues you can Check out my channel it is called S.A. homesteads .... hopefully I will farm one day

[@pattijopes8592]

Do I put the food & water in the run area or closer by her?

[@mark98115]

After watching this, I wonder if having a box inside box would not be a good idea. That way, the entire nest, hen and eggs, can be picked up and moved. I am new to chickens and one of my four hens just went bloody yesterday. I was not ready for it. The hens and two roosters live in a 8'x4'x4' coop and free range all day in a big back yard. I don't have another structure for my bloody hen. I guess I will have to make something really quick.

[@ChickenHues]

That might help, but I find the hens get attached to the eggs. Even so, not all hens will tolerate being moved. So the hens I’ve had that will move, would be fine in a box in a box, just like they are with just the eggs. The hens that won’t move would only be ok with the entire coop moving. Lol

[@mystiquemanner]

My hen has been an escape artist lately and leaving the other girls in the pen. She went missing and I found her out in the paddock in long grass so I will have to try this trick so she is safe from foxes and being stood on by the horses. Thank you

[@ChickenHues]

I hope it works!

[@j.pedersen8243]

Get a headlamp with RED lighting she wont notice and you can see :)

[@ChickenHues]

Really? Thanks for the great tip!

[@justgohan4200]

Hi sup I like it

[@4-hfarm671]

I have a brody hen and we are day 7 and day 16 of hatching eggs becouse she started laying on a egg then stopped laying for a while but we have a fair in 4 days so we have to move her and her eggs to the fairgrounds to incubate them i hope she still sits on them

[@ryannedonovan6459]

Question: Assuming you have a ramp for mama hen to go in and out of the broody coop, once they're born, will the babies fall down the ramp?

[@ChickenHues]

They may fall down but they’re super resilient at that age. It isn’t an issue. The problem is that they usually can’t figure out how to follow her back up the ramp for about a week. So they have to be individually picked up and put in.

[@arleend2636]

Great idea.. Once the babies are hatched in the separate coop, when do you put mama and babies back in the big coop with the others? Will they hurt her or the babies since they were gone for a long time?

[@ChickenHues]

I just let the hen decide. Mine usually take their babies back to wherever she hatched them each night. When she’s done mothering them, she leaves them and goes back to the main coop. (After 3-5 weeks.) They haven’t been hurt but are also always visible and part of the n my sin flock. Now I let the hen hatch right in the main coop. She raises them within the main coop and everyone does fine.

[@hillneckbarnyard7893]

always easier to move chickens at night, got a lot of free chickens that way, people say if you can catch them you can have them, so I show up after dark and pluck em off the roost, no problem lol

[@ChickenHues]

Totally agree! It sounds like you've got a good plan going on!

[@sapphirapearce8143]

I tried this with my broody silkie tonight and she is sitting by the door of the coop I put her in instead of on the eggs like she wants out. I think I didn't wait until late enough. Any advice what to do now? Our normal coop would not be a safe nesting spot for fertile eggs. The other chickens would knock the eggs down.

[@ChickenHues]

I may have lost one of your comments somewhere, but did comment that you tried again and it didn't work? Unfortunately, some hens just refuse to be moved. If you really don't want her setting in the coop nest box, then you may want to think about breaking her broodiness. :(

[@GrandmaKarenHasAFarm]

Your chickens are beautiful! What breed are they?

[@ChickenHues]

Thank you! They’re Ameraucanas and Olive Eggers, which are Marans-Ameraucana mixes.

[@dontheogre5230]

Hi! I have a question. I hope you can help me. Im very new with this. We have one hen. She laid eggs in a medium size box and had 11eggs. 6 eggs hatched already. But the hen already move out of the box together with the 6 chicks. Is she still going back for the 5 eggs? Are the 5eggs still going to hatch? Thank you.

[@ChickenHues]

Once she’s gone with the chicks she won’t come back. Depending on how long she’s been gone, you Could put the eggs in an incubator.

[@dontheogre5230]

Chicken Hues oh thank you very much.

[@audreyhorne7685]

Will do the same tonight, but since it's the longest day and I'm pretty far north it won't get entirely dark. But he? Nothing ever goes 100% smoothly.

[@ChickenHues]

How did it go? 😊

[@melvanini]

Tried this last night, this morning the broody is up and around wanting to get out, she pooped on the eggs in the night. It's day 19 and she's actually the second broody who's sat on these eggs (the first one went off broodiness a couple days ago, just as this one started). Is it a lost cause at this point? I'm hoping not...

[@ChickenHues]

I’m sorry! Not all hens will move. You can put the eggs back where they were all see if she’ll go back to them. She seems pretty new so you’ll have to see how it goes. I’d love to hear an update!

[@cadeth100]

Hi, My hen broody hen is one 4-5 eggs, at first my mom was not ready for hatching the eggs but a day later we decided to keep the eggs, eggs have been laid by other hens which we have now put under our broody hen, 1 egg yesterday and today she herself collected 3 other fresh eggs laid nearby by other hens. I've marked those 4 eggs under her now. I want to know would that day difference between eggs make any difference or it is okay? and moreover if the first one hatches on the 19th or 20th day can I separate the chick so that she continues to sit one more day over the other 3 eggs?

[@ChickenHues]

Here’s the deal.... if there is more than like a day difference the hen will either refuse to take the hatches chicks to food and water, or will leave the unhatched eggs. You could take the hatches chicks until they’re all fine. That could run the risk of the chicks not bonding with the hen and understanding to follow her. It’s best to collect your eggs and when you have what you want put them all under her at the same time.

[@ChickenHues]

I don’t have any experience with that. Maybe you could enclose them and prove nearby food and water while the hen is still waiting?

[@floyjaeger4300]

We did the way you did and she has left the kennel and went back to nesting box...Should i have locked the kennel to keep here in?

[@ChickenHues]

They don’t always accept moving. You could close the door with food and water for a few hours the next Morning and see if she settles down. Sometimes they’re so upset that it’s obvious it won’t work.

[@floyjaeger4300]

@@ChickenHues I don't know how long the eggs were alone....I put the eggs back under her! Maybe the last 3 days of her hatching time I will try again theist 3 days but will our the door to make sure she stays their until the possible finish! She will have her water and feed in there absolutely!

[@lauralynnn9287]

Chicken hues I thought this was great information so I subscribed, anyway my rooster didn't like my hen setting and killed to of the eggs, so I tried moving her and the rest of her eggs to another chicken coop with no other poultry in it. But for some reason she doesn't except the eggs. So now I don't know what to do. It would really help if you replied to give me advise.

[@ChickenHues]

So sorry that you're having problems. Sometimes a hen won't move. Did you try moving her at night with the eggs like in the video? If so, and she won't sit again, then you may have to try again later. I had a hen that would ONLY set in the main nest box in the main coop. I tried moving her a few times and she would have none of it. I finally let her set her eggs where she wanted and she hatched her eggs. It all depends on the hen.

[@lauralynnn9287]

Chicken Hues thank you so much for replying I really appreciate it, And no I did not try to do it in the dark but I will try tonight she is such a stubern Chicken!!! When I moved her to the other chicken coop she kept trying to go back to the main chicken coop even though there was no eggs there for her to sit on. And I forgot to say this video was great and thank you for your advice

[@ChickenHues]

You're welcome! Put her and her eggs back wherever she wants to be and then try again at night. That will hopefully do the trick!

[@lauralynnn9287]

Chicken Hues ok and again thanks so much for your advice

[@lauralynnn9287]

Hi chicken hues here is an update, I went to move her last night and checked on her this morning, and she is setting on the eggs I am so happy thank you so much for your advice because I wouldn't of done it with out you and your great youtube channel!!!

[@munawaralijafar]

hi, my hen was brood and i set up a nest and egga and set other safely place but she didn't sit on there, she quickly run to her egg laying place. whta is the solution to sit on other place

[@ChickenHues]

This video explains the only way I've had success moving a broody hen. Sometimes it simply doesn't work.

[@learnenglishthefunway1099]

My hen also did not sit again. When i moved her night time. Full time she stand on the side of the basket and next morning run out

[@carmensumida9210]

Help! Think I f***up my sister hens went pretty and I wanted to put him in a safer place but I did during the day and they attacked me and now they won't go to their eggs. I just want my girls to be happy please tell me what to do

[@ChickenHues]

They can get attached to where they are and won’t sit on the eggs in a new place.

[@adamscoolthings3316]

Would this work with a duck ? Our duck is broody and has a nest outside

[@ChickenHues]

I don’t know since I’ve never had ducks. Maybe someone will comment that knows!