Broody Hen Thread!

[16 paws]

Let me add my 2 cents on the chicks using the ladder.

Mine did not figure it out before say about a good week or two. Like someone said some do but most don't. I love the idea of running a wider ladder along side the cage because you just may be able to shoo them up that way. Mom gets confused when some are up and others are down because she doesn't know which ones to stay with. It can be quite frustrating for her. I had to make space for them either up or down and remove the ladder.

Good luck!

 

[SIMZ]

Let me add my 2 cents on the chicks using the ladder.

Mine did not figure it out before say about a good week or two. Like someone said some do but most don't. I love the idea of running a wider ladder along side the cage because you just may be able to shoo them up that way. Mom gets confused when some are up and others are down because she doesn't know which ones to stay with. It can be quite frustrating for her. I had to make space for them either up or down and remove the ladder.

Good luck!

Someone here recommended placing steps along the ramp/ladder for the chicks. I placed bricks and blocks of varying heights along the ramp. That has helped for us, although it's still about a week before they all can follow the hen into their coop without some form of chase from me and my butterfly net.

 

[StarMeKritten]

We have 3 coops and runs. All the coops are elevated. We have had broodies hatch chicks in each one this year. Mom usually takes the chicks out 1-3 days after hatch. The chicks go down the ramp pretty easily but it's best to have soft bedding below just in case they fall. I have to gather up chicks just before dusk and put them in the coop for mom. When they are about a week old, they start going in on their own. In the largest run, I usually set up a dog crate for a hen with chicks to sleep in. That works well too, except those chicks don't figure it out as quickly. In that one coop, chicks learn the ramp at a much later age, usually 4-6 weeks old!

 

[the poppster]

I have thought about replacing the classic plank with a porch and steps...would make it a bit easier for the little ones to figure out....but the plank is easy to move for cleaning and when I fork over the run every couple weeks...I can just pull it out of the way...My EE hen abandoned her babies last night...I figured it was about that time....when the other birds headed for the coop...she went with them...it was coming on to dark when the chicks realized that Mom wasn't around....no more Pitiful sound has ever been made...the whole bunch were Crying....first I tried to lead them into the run....a few fell for the bread crumbs...but not all...so I thru the bread into the chicken tractor and when they all went in I closed the door...10 mins later they were snuggled up in the big nest area and quite...

 

[SIMZ]

My Tetra Tint is very determined to hatch eggs! I'm surprised she's broody, but she's been on her eggs now for almost a week. It looks like my Ameraucana is broody again, so I'll set her up with some eggs tomorrow. That'll make 3 total setting and these will make six for us this year. Fun!

Of course, the problem with this is I'm not getting eggs, which I sell. Instead, I'm getting an abundance of cockerels, which I can't sell when I try. LOL

 

[the poppster]

My Tetra Tint is very determined to hatch eggs!  I'm surprised she's broody, but she's been on her eggs now for almost a week.  It looks like my Ameraucana is broody again, so I'll set her up with some eggs tomorrow.  That'll make 3 total setting and these will make six for us this year.  Fun! 

Of course, the problem with this is I'm not getting eggs, which I sell.  Instead, I'm getting an abundance of cockerels, which I can't sell when I try.  LOL

Fatten up the cockerels and put them in the freezer.

 

[CanaDawn]

Fatten up the cockerels and put them in the freezer.

That was my first thought.....mmmmm...walking soup base.....

 

[Fizzgig]

I've got two girls brooding, they were hand raised together and when the silkie went down my austroplorp looked lost and confused for about a week and a half before she decided that it might not be the worst idea in the world. They started with a gap between them but as you can see there isn't a gap anymore. I'm pretty sure eggs have been swapped back and forth so I have the incubator on standby just in case they both go when the silkies eggs hatch but hopefully someone will mum and someone will stay sitting

 

[chicksurreal]

I've got two girls brooding, they were hand raised together and when the silkie went down my austroplorp looked lost and confused for about a week and a half before she decided that it might not be the worst idea in the world. They started with a gap between them but as you can see there isn't a gap anymore. I'm pretty sure eggs have been swapped back and forth so I have the incubator on standby just in case they both go when the silkies eggs hatch but hopefully someone will mum and someone will stay sitting

Awww. That's so sweet! I had two Dark Cornish girls go broody at the same time, and since I didn't have extra space I put them both in the same coop with a partition between them. They hissed and growled the entire time and when they both hatched on the same day one girl kicked her chicks out of the nest and the other girl took them in. Weird.

 

[TXchickenchick]

I've got two girls brooding, they were hand raised together and when the silkie went down my austroplorp looked lost and confused for about a week and a half before she decided that it might not be the worst idea in the world. They started with a gap between them but as you can see there isn't a gap anymore. I'm pretty sure eggs have been swapped back and forth so I have the incubator on standby just in case they both go when the silkies eggs hatch but hopefully someone will mum and someone will stay sitting

What absolutely precious ladies!