A wool hen - creating one today

[Mrs. K]

Update: One needs to continually check the wooly hen. I did get a chick tangled in there today, but what had happened was a pom-pom came loose. The chick was fine, but when I checked, the bedding under the wooly hen was damp, and part of the wooly hen was damp.

I pulled out the bedding, put in new dry bedding, cleaned out the wooly hen of debris, and set it up again.

I am still quite happy with it, my chicks are active, venturing out into the run, I do not see a serious integration problem ahead. One just needs to check it each day, to keep it tightly glued to the bucket.

I am trying to get a picture, but it is hard to be ready when the chicks are ready. Tonight, a couple were sticking there heads out, just like under a real hen, with their bodies inside. So cute, but It is dark in the huddle box, and I am never quite ready when they are. Maybe this week end.

As the chicks get bigger, I am not quite sure what I will do. I think that by week 3-4, they would make it fine without the wooly hen. With a real broody hen, I have had her leave the nest on the floor and encourage her chicks to begin roosting. Monday, mine will be 3 weeks old. They have wing and tail feathers, but are still quite downey.

Mrs K

 

[azygous]

You know how they make rugs, weaving yarn through a jute mat? You could use any sort of flexible mesh, creating a continuous "rug" with your yarn, knotting the yarn on the opposite side of the mat. Then glue the wool hen "carpet" to the underside of your bucket frame. The wool plugs would be far less apt to come loose that way.

Inventions need constant fine-tuning. That's why they have field testing - to discover the flaws.

 

[aart]

I am trying to get a picture, but it is hard to be ready when the chicks are ready. Tonight, a couple were sticking there heads out, just like under a real hen, with their bodies inside. So cute, but It is dark in the huddle box, and I am never quite ready when they are. Maybe this week end.

Mrs K

It IS hard to get good pics....hopefully you succeed.

You know how they make rugs, weaving yarn through a jute mat? You could use any sort of flexible mesh, creating a continuous "rug" with your yarn, knotting the yarn on the opposite side of the mat. Then glue the wool hen "carpet" to the underside of your bucket frame. The wool plugs would be far less apt to come loose that way.

Inventions need constant fine-tuning. That's why they have field testing - to discover the flaws.

Great idea!

 

[tmarsh83]

You know how they make rugs, weaving yarn through a jute mat? You could use any sort of flexible mesh, creating a continuous "rug" with your yarn, knotting the yarn on the opposite side of the mat. Then glue the wool hen "carpet" to the underside of your bucket frame. The wool plugs would be far less apt to come loose that way.

Inventions need constant fine-tuning. That's why they have field testing - to discover the flaws.

Hardware cloth would be ideal.

Leave 4-6 open areas to place machine screws with fender washers to affix to the bucket or frame and you're good to go.

No worries about the glue aging and failing, and sturdy enough to take a hardware installation. The quarter-inch mesh would be almost perfect I would think.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I can envision cutting a length of yarn, passing it up through a hole then back down, and tying a knot to keep it in place. I don’t know if it needs to be a knot that is unlikely to come loose and slip, like a square knot, but maybe. By cutting the yarn to length it’s easier to tie and you don’t have a loop at the bottom where they might get tangled up.

I agree with 100% wool. I don’t think the lanolin will hurt them at all though you can wash it to remove more lanolin if you wish. Wool can handle getting wet better but synthetic yarn might put off some fumes I would not want the chicks to breathe.

It’s fun brainstorming these ideas. I have no idea what the limits of this method are or who invented it as a way to keep chicks warm. It seems I read about this when I first joined the forum, but that was more of a way to provide comfort for a single chick being raised by itself more than keeping a bunch warm. But relying on my memory can be a risky thing.

 

[aart]

Quote: This intrigued me... so I grabbed some 1/4" HC, some yarn, and a crochet hook.

Folded length of yard in half, shoved or hooked thru, hooked loop again thru HC, then hooked tails thru loop.
No need to tie a knot, left one cut shorter and not pulled tight.
Tedious, but pretty easy.

 

[lazy gardener]

Score one more for Aart!

 

[azygous]

See what happens when great minds get together?

 

[aart]

Score one more for Aart!

Sometimes my OCD trumps my ADD...hahaha!

 

[tmarsh83]

This intrigued me... so I grabbed some 1/4" HC, some yarn, and a crochet hook.

Folded length of yard in half, shoved or hooked thru, hooked loop again thru HC, then hooked tails thru loop.
No need to tie a knot, left one cut shorter and not pulled tight.
Tedious, but pretty easy.

Aart verifies that my mind's eye can still fire one off from time to time. Awesome stuff...i'm growing more intrigued with this for outside midsummer brooding of meaties...