Our chickens have been free ranging all summer. One "went missing" a couple days ago. I figured it was a victim of one of the feral cats that have been using my waxed dirt operation as a litter box, but that's a different topic....

Anyway, after a thorough search my girls and I found her yesterday behind the junk pile next to garage sitting on 12+ eggs and she's been on them all day since Thursday. I'm OK with letting them hatch out (yes, we have roosters) but haven't done it before. Question is - do I want to try and move her and the eggs to a more protected location? If so, how? Other option is just to build a little enclosure around her. Any thoughts appreciated.

I'd build a enclosed screen and leave her where she is she goes away for a reason from the rest, I tried to hatch eggs before with several hens and 1 chick hatched and 3 hens tried to claim it leaving the rest of the eggs to compete with each other for the 1 chick. I'd cover her or block the area if possible after dark and uncover her in the AM, if you have to make a nesting are in a building and try moving the works. Do not add any more hens to the mix.


Once the eggs hatch then move her to a place where the chicks would be safe from that cat if it's not taking a waxed dirt nap by then.


FYI that building will have a thick layer of dust over time so be aware of that they make a mess!

Some chickens can be moved or "bothered" on the nest with no problem, some not so much. Hens seem to be pretty good at picking sites for a nest that will result is chick survival, even though they may look crazy to us. An enclosure around the nest site might work if you can put it in without a lot of noise and disturbance. Then have a feeding, watering source inside she can get to every day of so.
I've never tried to move one, but you might do it successfully in the dark. Maybe slip eggs out from under her one at a time with no light until you have about half of them in the new nest. Then pin her wings to her sides and pick her up, put her on the new nest. Slip the rest of the eggs under her. When she wakes up she will be a little bewildered, but may be fine. She may also leave you with 12 eggs you can sit on yourself as far as she is concerned.

^^what they said, but,

You can move hens at night, they are essentially comatose when asleep; I'd just wrap the hen up so she isn't bothered by the light and then gather her eggs and some nest material (for smell); carry her under an arm and the nest material-eggs in a bucket/box. If you do this put her where she'll be isolated and contained, like a feed room or tack room, for the duration. Pre-building and locating a nest size box that gives her security on three sides and the top will help her settle down in the new spot. You could use the nest box for the transport, just load her and nest into the box , cover and carry.

Often it is best just to let her be. It kinda depends on your faith that she will avoid predators and severe weather problems. She may be more apt to stay on the nest after the first chick peeps if she is in a closed room on the floor level where the chick can get in and out of the nest with her. Lots of times a free hen will set on a dozen eggs and only get a single chick because they leave too soon.

I think your best bet is to let her be, and hope for the best. Over the years, I've moved broody hens and sometimes it works, others not. The setters in the weeds that I haven't noticed-found, seem to have better and larger clutches when left where they're at. Good luck with whatever you decide.

My advice would be leave her alone unless you absolutely have to get involved.

Yep, mother nature is at work here.

Like TJM and Grumpa said. If she seems safe enough, or you can easily make her safe without disturbing her, then leave her. If you decide to move her do it like tjm. My dad, who’s raised free range chickens my whole life, has moved them successfully many times. He usually puts them in a rabbit hutch or cage with a nest box. He thinks that locking them in with the eggs makes them more likely to stay on them. But sometimes a hen just quits and abandons them anyway. Also, for whatever it’s worth, Bantam breeds are the best brooders in his decades of experience. He’s hatched more poultry of every kind under Banties than any other breed put together. He can move them, swap eggs, put them on turkey or duck eggs, you name it and they’ll sit until they hatch. Most of the time.

Appreciate the advice guys. I decided to just let her be. She's only come off twice that we've seen for a few minutes each time, so I just made a little pen around her using the leftovers from this year's pheasant brooder (we raised 25 of them).

Lawdog - yes...the dust is something. Made the pheasant brooder in the corner of my shop, next to my boat....which I was trying to keep nice. I think even if I sunk the thing and raised it from the depths the dusty guck layer would be still be there. Oh yeah...there's going to be a reckoning for the waxed dirt litterboxing feral cat.

Here's "Bowser's" new pen till the middle of Sept. Weather got a little nasty so I stuck the heat lamp out there. Interesting little banty hen that follows us around, roosts in the carport instead of henhouse and doesn't really hang with the other birds. She's my girls favorite and the prospects of her having chicks is exciting for them so I got serious "cool dad" points for the pen.


We found her!


Behind the junk next to carport:


Safe from feral cat