[Newbie]

I have a broody bantam and decided to get her some eggs to sit on.  Hubby spent the weekend making aher a lovely box of her own to sit in rather than the nesting box that they all use.  How on earth do I get her interested in it though!  I have tried adding an egg but she would rather sit on nothing in the nesting box than move to the nice new house.  Should I just segregate her so the only option is the new house and hope she doesn't stop being broody?  Luckily I haven't got any eggs yet as thought I should get her happy and settled in there before adding them.

[joyfull]

I move mine late afternoon - I pick her up and whilst she is under my arm I use my other hand to move a couple of eggs at a time - so she can see me doing this. Then I place her in the broody coop and shut her in so it is dark. In the morning then when you open her broody coop up she hopefully will have accepted the new coop. I did have one hen though that seemed a bit simple and kept going back to the old coop and either sitting on the wrong eggs or none at all - it was just a case of keep putting her in the broody coop - she got the message eventually 

[Newbie]

Thank you, can i ask how big your broody coop is?  I'm wondering if ours is too small, we made it about as big as the nesting box which they all use, there is about enough room for two hens to make a nest each and I was going to section off part of their large run. 

[Casey76]

Your broody coop really needs to be big enough to accomodate your hen and the number of egg you have put under her when they are hatched and half grown

[Newbie]

She's in there  Hasn't shifted all day.  Should be gtting my fertilized eggs tomorrow, do I just slide them under her wearing a heavy duty sleeve?!  I'm hoping the box id big enought but seeing her in there I think it will be.  Hubby is worried about the cold weather coming at the weekend and will probably be out there with a blanket    Am I ok leaving her in the general run for now and just segreagating her an area off once the chicks are hatched?  I wouldn't need to move her to do this, just put up some small guage wire.  Exciting times!

[Oakdalebirds1]

Hi

My little hen has just hatched 3 chicks off and at only 1 week old they are feathering up well and running around there run with Mum .
Letting her and chicks out this weekend (with me watching)

I would seperate her a area off though , you dont want the other hens to bother her while she's sitting nor do you want other hens to lay additional eggs under her etc

But  good luck and enjoy this side of nature

[joyfull]

My broody coops (last year used my eglu) has a run attached (which I only use after the eggs have hatched) so whenever I let the broody out with the others I shut the run up so no other hens can lay in there.