Raising chicks with the flock

First, one has to go broody.  You don't have any breeds that are highly likely to go broody, but don't give up hope, it can happen in any breed.  Signs of being broody including staying on the nest 24/7, growling when you reach in there, going right back in a few minutes if you lift her out.  Once you have a broody, it works best if you have a separate nest and small space to walk in, away from the flock.  Then collect eggs at room temp til you have maybe 6 to 10, and place them all under her at once, to avoid their hatching at different times.

 

This is a good article about broodies:

 

http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/broody-hens-1.html

Some separate some don't.  I like to keep them with the flock.  They grow up knowing their place in the flock, so no integration problems later.  It is a management decision.

I think the raising with the flock, depends on your set up and space. I always raise mine right in the flock. But my run has multiple roosts, boxes, barriers, feed bowls and hideouts. I also let mine free range most of the day.

 

I have tried moving broody hens, and found it did not work for me. Just leaving them alone, and letting them handle it works best. My broody hens have been aggressive enough that no one lays in their nest, (in fact they tiptoe in to not irritate her) and all of mine have been willing to take your arm off at the elbow if you reach for her.

 

I do try and give her some space at the point of hatching, mostly by locking the layers out, rather than moving her. Mine have always nested about 3 feet off the floor, and once she is satisfied with the hatch, she creates a new nest on the floor. Then I let everyone back together. She gets them out of the elevated nest without help from me, and no one has been hurt.

 

Works for me, and mine.

 

ps I have had several of the buff o go broody for me.

 

MrsK

i raise my chicks in a small coop and run with mum but in the main run which is the whole garden so the rest of my flock can see them and get to know them! If u want a good broody hen get pekins or silkies!!!  

no, just cranky I would think, mine have always been at least a year old. I think the silkies which are big broody types will do younger, but I would be quite surprised if your RIR went broody this early. Although I did have a one that was never suppose to go broody, and she did.

 

If they are on the nest all day, and night, and when you look at them, instead of holding their bodies kind of up off the nest, a broody is flat as a pancake, and they get a funny trance looks and puff up if you get too close to them and growl.

 

MrsK

Our EE hen first went broody at 9 months old. We put her and the chicks in a separate cage in coop for the first week then brought momma and babies to our basement because of space. 19 chicks was way more than we expected! They all free range together in the evenings. If we had more space I would have kept them all together.