NY chicken lover!!!! - Page 1045

If I use a cardboard box I'm going to have to get a new waterer. Right now I have the one with the tray at the bottom and my chicks are always getting it dirty and by the time I wake up in the morning the whole bottom of the "cage" of damp so I have to clean it right away or the tray screwed to the plastic jar is just completely filled with pine shavings. I'll see what I can find at home depot today, if I make it there. Woke up with a huge headache, have nothing to take in the house, and these two little monsters  have no understanding of the word quiet. 

Morning all!

 

Cass--sorry for your troubles.  May I suggest a couple of good therapists for you to see.  Mr. Ben and Mr. Jerry are fantastic guys and their chocolate therapy works wonders! I highly recommend it.

 

Lynzi--I use a folgers coffee can top under my chick waterer to contain any spill and elevate it on pieces of wood to keep most of the shavings out of it.  Another thing I do is run a zip tie through the side of my box (I use cardboard ones), around the upper part of the waterer and back through the box and zip it.  I leave it loose enough so I can slide the waterer out to refill it but the tie keeps the hooligans from knocking it around and spilling it when they are racing around the box.  You can also use the top of a 5 gallon bucket inverted and placed up on wood to contain larger waterers.  Had to do that yesterday after the terrorists knocked their waterer askew and got half their box wet.  A heat gun and 30 minutes later, I got it dried out and reset everything.  Have to put two boxes together now as they have outgrown one.  Just going to cut a hole in the ends, match them up and tape them together.  Must get the coop done this week!

 

So it looks like Sarah, my silkie hen has gone broody.  Thats good.  She insists on sitting in the corner of the run.  Thats bad.  I had to force her into the coop last night.  Not good.  Any ideas on how to get her to sit in the coop?  I put her in the nest box repeatedly.  I put lots of fresh hay in there. She refuses to sit in there.  Should I just lock her in the coop while the others are outside in the run?  I dont want to stress them but I cant have her sitting in the run because she will be dinner for something during the night.  Sigh.  And I want her to hatch eggs, if her sisters lay any.  Suggestions anyone???

 

 

Does anyone know how long it takes for the state to get back to you about NPIP testing?  I faxed the completed form 2 weeks ago and haven't heard a thing from them.  I was hoping to get the testing done while I'm on vacation in 2 weeks.

Edited by Tab's chicken obsession - 4/29/12 at 6:45am

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone! Sounds like I'm going to have to get creative here. 

pharm, my suggestion is a dog crate with the chosen nest materials that she had assembled. Put her in and close it up. It should be located in a less traveled and safe area. I think sometimes they have to look at their priorities. Is it more important to be in the run or to have a safe nest and hatch eggs? If the answer is the run, nothing is lost. If she spends time in the crate and after about two days doesn't seem broody oh well. But you have a chance she will settle down. And you won't have to modify later in the brooding. Just my thoughts and theories.

 

 

I suggest you try a different breed of chicken.   Silkies are about as dumb as they come....even the other chickens laugh at them,.   If that isn't a possiblity, take some chicken wire, put a nest box or nice pile of hay/straw in the corner of the coop and tack the chicken wire in a semi-circle around the nice, new nesting area you made.   Insert Silkie.   They can't fly very well, but you might want to put a piece of chicken wire over the top to keep the other flyers in your flock OUT.    Add golf balls until you have eggs to give her.   Mine sat for 29 days, cuz I wanted to make sure she was really and sincerely broody, so I didn't give her eggs for a few days. 

(Now all the chicks are dead and she is sitting on an egg that isn't going to hatch. Poor thing)

 

edited to add:  Put some of those chick sized feeders and waterers to use and place one of each in the prepared area, so she doesn't starve to death, since she won't be able to get out to the general flocks supplies

 

 

Have you checked her chest area?  If she is serious about hatching she will have pulled the feathers off her chest and bottom of chest to have better contact with the eggs during incubation.   If she hasn't done that yet, she might not be really and sincerely broody (yet) and you have time to get the space ready.

 

I have a broody D'uccle and I am going to build her a peg board enclosure to the area she has chosen so the other hens don't sit on her and crush HER.   Sheesh, she is small and some of my other hens would make a Thanksgiving dinner for a family of 4; the crush factor here is huge.

 

 

Edited by Cass - 4/29/12 at 6:51am

Lynzi, yes I have that outside. When we had that super warm period I moved them out, and there is a big sheet of plastic that I grabbed when it was windy or rainy. I tied the plastic around, and at night I pull it down around the mini coop. In the morning I flip it up and put a rock to keep it up out of the way. They go in and out and seem fine. They are 10 weeks. I never would have put them out if it was as cold as it is now, but as it happened gradually, I figured why not.

I really babies my first bunch, and they are very spoiled. These may be less so.

 

 

A large dog crate? Lock her in the coop in the crate/carrier with food/water/shavings/etc for a few days? That's what I was planning to do with my 'woods' broody if I ever found her hideout (she should arrive with chicks soon OR she's been eating.. I never have found her spot!).. 

Last call for chicks before I stick them under a broody tonight. Looks like I might have my first 100% hatch - of course it's only seven eggs and they were literally from hen to incubator. :) Four are out, two are pipped and I think the other one may be pipped as well. One NN so far! =)

 It took 6 weeks last year. They cut back on the testers. You have to keep bugging them...