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My nest box is choked with broodies. I have been letting them sit, hoping to get some eggs that have not been sat on and them set up a broody separately. not going to work out that way. My question is, if a broody has been sitting on an egg for just for one day and then I take the egg and it...

Always separate the broody from the rest of the flock. That said many people, including myself, have tried what you are doing. we learn by doing. Once a brood has hatched, after a couple of days, they can join the flock, as long as there is plenty of room and structures/cover for the brood to...

Sorry for the late response. Crazy week. In your experience an owl would sever the neck? Makes since if they have a nest.

If I am in and out quickly, the don’t bother me, but if I am working in their immediate area, they will attack.

Wasps won’t bother the chickens, but they will bother you. Get rid of them.

I have successfully protected my small flock with electric net fencing for the last 10 years. Never a problem from a four legged predator until now. I got a glimpse of something a couple weeks ago, at dusk when I drove up. It was short, long, and quick. Dashed back into the woods. A weasel...

Was no.t home in the late afternoon, but my guess is at night

This all about your coop. Cozy is bad. Even if you think /have good ventilation. Chickens create a lot of moisture with their breath. You need plenty of room in the coop, especially above their heads, so the moisture can get away from them. Check out Fresh Air Poultry Houses by Dr. Prince (not...

I think something got through the electric net fencing. Has never happened before, in the last 8 years, at least when it is operating properly, which it is, 7,000 volts. A 5 week old chick was taken about 20 feet from the coop, where a wing and the head was removed. It was then taken about 20...

A smaller game type breed or maybe an Icelandic. They have good instincts, can fly away from predators, thrifty, forage well, go broody, a low maintenance, survivable bird.

I thank everyone for your feedback. I’m going to go with some common sense here and not put my chicks on hardware cloth. As someone who is use to their chicks being on pasture with a mother hen, the hardware cloth looks absolutely mean. Thanks again.

I can cut a piece plywood and put it on the floor. I did not know the person who made this, it seems a shame to not use it the way it was intended, but how can hardware cloth be comfy for the chicks. Doesn’t support the scratching instinct either.

I happened into a home made brooder. Nicely made, 4’by3’, but the floor is 1/2 inch hardware cloth, with a droppings pan that you can pull out and dump. I know this is an accepted if not a traditional approach, but 1/2 inch seems kinda big. I rarely brood chicks, usually work with hens, but this...