aaah! I have a broody! Questions....

[warmfuzzies]

OK, she stayed in the nest box all aft. Friday, and was still there Saturday Morning. I took her eggs friday. So I am puttin geggs back under her today.

My question: I built nice roomy nest boxes, on the floor, planning for broodies. So do I need to do anything else? I know they say to seperate them, so I would need to make a small wire cage or something to keep her in and the others out.

But do I have to? She looks so cozy, and the others havent bothered her. I have plenty of nest boxes. Has anyone ever tryed leaving them open?

 

[needtohatch]

You can leave it open, my mother in law does all the time. But for her the other hens almost always at the very least lay their eggs in with the broody and at the most chase her out. If you do leave it open mark with a pencil the eggs you put under her so you will know if anyone else lays theirs in there after you are done and you can remove new eggs. If you see the others bothering her you will want to block her off. Just make sure she has enough room to get off to eat and poo.

 

[sben451]

My Silkie hen went broody last month with her eggs in a plastic crate lined with straw on the floor of the pen. She wouldn't stay when I tried to move her after dark one night to a dog crate lined with hay and the door tied open so she wouldn't feel fenced in. So we wound up making a "fort" or enclosure on the floor of the pen by putting bales of wheat straw around her (she had enought room to walk around and eat, drink, and poo) and when the 6 chicks hatched last week we placed a large square of dog wire over her "safe" area and the chicks for protection. We only have one other Silkie, Opie, the roo, but we were not sure he wouldn't bother the chicks.