BYC Café

[ShrekDawg]

What will you do with the cockerels?
Can your coop, in both size and roost space, fit more pullets?

Remember, I just built a new coop. I thought I had plenty of roost space for all the new additions. If you read the article, you will see that, OOPS, I didn't. You could hear the roost-time rumble a good 100 yards down the road. I had to add an additional 7 ft of roost space.
You may want to exercise your powers of restraint OR if you are going to let her do her thing, sell the pullets and give away the cockerels to whomever wants them for whatever reason, other than cock fighting and other forms of chicken torture, obviously.

I figure I could sell them or give them away? Or if I get them from my friend, I’ll ask if he can take them back. If not, I’ll figure something else out. Thinking of just selling them. Or I could force myself to cull them.

I think it can but realistically maybe not. Idk. There’s tons of roost space but the square footage of the coop itself is a little on the small side but they’re always outside anyway. My next project is expanding the run cause that’s too small but I’m making it way bigger.

And oh wow that’s loud!! Mine seem to have an order worked out finally. They did squabble at first and still occasionally do and they didn’t let the littles roost next to them for a long time but now they finally seem to have figured things out.

Maybe I could hatch them and then sell the baby chicks? Or sell them as older, started, sexed chicks?

Thinking I might sell all except maybe keep a couple pullets?

I probably should break her but I always break them and I’d like to try it at least once. And I think late summer, early fall is a good time to do it. But idk.

I do have a plan for the chicks though.

I actually was also kind of thinking maybe sometime I could make a separate coop and get a bunch of layers for it and start selling eggs ha so maybe I could let her hatch and then keep them for that if I do that. Otherwise I can just sell all of them except a couple.

 

[ShrekDawg]

As we will, so mote it be! Lol I doubt anyone would really care, but you never know.



I think it's the smart thing for now, playing it by ear as things unfold.



Thanks Shad, that was a pretty easy project. More articles on what subjects?

Yeah I think it is too. Although it sounds like they are gone.

 

[DobieLover]

Also I know I need to stop meddling with her but I wanted to see if there were any new eggs under her and went to take some and she got up again when I reached under but did go right back after she ate a bit but she seems to be refusing to move to the middle nest. I put the eggs there and she just walks around clucking until I put them back. So I guess she is gonna stay in the far right nest. She’s super serious when she’s in that nest. Maybe she would move if I left the eggs in the middle nest, I don’t give her long to decide, but I think it’s just easier if I let her stay where she wants to stay haha she is very insistent and persuasive about staying in that nest.

Also.... do I just leave her alone and not open the nest boxes for a few days? She only moves when I reach under her but I don’t want to disturb her too much so I guess I shouldn’t collect eggs? They’re barely laying anyway. I think she is scaring them

But I also don’t want her to starve or dehydrate.

Do I just leave her and let her get up on her own or should I force her to get up once a day? I am assuming she won’t let herself starve?

If you're going to let her do it, just get a handful of fertile eggs, mark them and give them to her.
I tossed (gently) Barb off the nest each morning and late afternoon when she was sitting to make sure she took care of herself. She did great. She would be in her broody trance when she first came off and after a minute or two would snap out of it and go tearing off in the pen to either scratch in the front landscape bed or terrorize a few pullets just for fun. Then she'd eat, dust bathe, preen then go back to her nest. The afternoon breaks were longer than the morning breaks. I had the baby bottle hanging in there for her and a little fan on her for when it got really hot.
On day 19, I didn't remove her at all. The chicks started hatching near roost time on day 20 and the rest you've already seen.

 

[ShrekDawg]

If you're going to let her do it, just get a handful of fertile eggs, mark them and give them to her.
I tossed (gently) Barb off the nest each morning and late afternoon when she was sitting to make sure she took care of herself. She did great. She would be in her broody trance when she first came off and after a minute or two would snap out of it and go tearing off in the pen to either scratch in the front landscape bed or terrorize a few pullets just for fun. Then she'd eat, dust bathe, preen then go back to her nest. The afternoon breaks were longer than the morning breaks. I had the baby bottle hanging in there for her and a little fan on her for when it got really hot.
On day 19, I didn't remove her at all. The chicks started hatching near roost time on day 20 and the rest you've already seen.

We don’t have a rooster so the eggs aren’t fertile so I was gonna test her for a few days and then get some fertile eggs from a friend? But she seems very serious so the testing may not be necessary. She is sitting on 4 ceramic eggs right now that I just bought today.

And okay thank you, that is very helpful!! I was worried I would break her from being broody if I threw her off too much but it doesn’t seem like that’s the case? I guess it depends on the hen. But Barb sounds just like Blackie! she goes running over to the food then running out to the water bucket, scratches a bit, and she preens too and she even does the “terrorizing the pullets” bit. she doesn’t bother messing with the big girls but she loves running straight at the pullets just for fun.

The baby bottle and fans are both good ideas. Thanks.

And thanks, that makes sense. So remove her once or twice a day and then not at all during lockdown?

 

[DobieLover]

We don’t have a rooster so the eggs aren’t fertile so I was gonna test her for a few days and then get some fertile eggs from a friend? But she seems very serious so the testing may not be necessary. She is sitting on 4 ceramic eggs right now that I just bought today.

And okay thank you, that is very helpful!! I was worried I would break her from being broody if I threw her off too much but it doesn’t seem like that’s the case? I guess it depends on the hen. But Barb sounds just like Blackie! she goes running over to the food then running out to the water bucket, scratches a bit, and she preens too and she even does the “terrorizing the pullets” bit. she doesn’t bother messing with the big girls but she loves running straight at the pullets just for fun.

The baby bottle and fans are both good ideas. Thanks.

And thanks, that makes sense. So remove her once or twice a day and then not at all during lockdown?

I just didn't want to disturb the eggs if the chicks were getting into hatch position.

Maybe I could hatch them and then sell the baby chicks? Or sell them as older, started, sexed chicks?

If you are going to let her spend 3 weeks of her life hatching a clutch of eggs, you wouldn't really want to deprive her of raising them, would you? That's most of the fun right there.
I'd just sell sexed, started pullets and cockerels. I am going to rehome any cockerels from Barb's hatch. I think I can fit the extra pullets. I will be removing 4 hens next year anyway.

 

[igorsMistress]

Sheesh I couldn't touch my broody when she was on the nest. I made sure to verify she got off the nest every day to eat and poop and she'd have a dust bath. I never had to encourage her, she just did it thankfully.

I had to take one of the babies and clean its bottom due to pasty butt and she came unglued every time I walked by and tried to attack me for about the next week. We were friends again when there were no chicks to come between us though.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I just didn't want to disturb the eggs if the chicks were getting into hatch position.


If you are going to let her spend 3 weeks of her life hatching a clutch of eggs, you wouldn't really want to deprive her of raising them, would you? That's most of the fun right there.
I'd just sell sexed, started pullets and cockerels. I am going to rehome any cockerels from Barb's hatch. I think I can fit the extra pullets. I will be removing 4 hens next year anyway.

That makes sense!!

And hmmm... that’s true... and that’s the part I am most looking forward to.. maybe I’ll let her raise them after all haha

That’s a good idea. I think sexed pullets are probably easier to sell anyway.

We just lost one recently so there’s a little more room now so I could probably fit a couple pullets.

I don’t know whether to get 6 or 12 eggs though. 12 seems like kind of a lot but I know sometimes not every egg hatches so I don’t want to end up with no chicks or all boys haha

 

[DobieLover]

That makes sense!!

And hmmm... that’s true... and that’s the part I am most looking forward to.. maybe I’ll let her raise them after all haha

That’s a good idea. I think sexed pullets are probably easier to sell anyway.

We just lost one recently so there’s a little more room now so I could probably fit a couple pullets.

I don’t know whether to get 6 or 12 eggs though. 12 seems like kind of a lot but I know sometimes not every egg hatches so I don’t want to end up with no chicks or all boys haha

I gave Barb 4 eggs that were laid the day I gave up and set her up in the brooder. 3 hatched.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Sheesh I couldn't touch my broody when she was on the nest. I made sure to verify she got off the nest every day to eat and poop and she'd have a dust bath. I never had to encourage her, she just did it thankfully.

I had to take one of the babies and clean its bottom due to pasty butt and she came unglued every time I walked by and tried to attack me for about the next week. We were friends again when there were no chicks to come between us though.

Thankfully all my broodies have been really nice. Idk. Maybe I’m just lucky.

And oh wow what a protective mother! Glad you guys became friends again lol

 

[ShrekDawg]

I gave Barb 4 eggs that were laid the day I gave up and set her up on the brooder. 3 hatched.

Wow that’s awesome!! Maybe less would be better then? Seems broodies have better luck, more natural I guess ha