Advice on letting broody hen hatch eggs

[Angiebubs]

Ugh! So with 6 broody hens in the coop and 5 that I gave eggs to my experience: I tried a separate brooder pen, rabbit cages, cat carriers, etc. The best set up I currently have is the wire rabbit cages (20-30 at fleet farm for 3 ft by 3 ft) and I started with a small cat carrier inside until the chicks hatched. It was a pain trying to get the carrier inside the cage-so check the cage door size or find something easier to fit in. The nice thing about the wire cage is-the holes are too small for the chicks to escape, they are all still in with the flock for easier re introduction later, and easy to clean. ( the brooder area was ok but will be difficult to allow them out with the flock and get back as there is no door on this just a top that comes off/too high for the chicks. Carriers by themselves were to small to include water and food, and leaving in with the flock: even with a top of the pecking order hen-crushed eggs or someone else jumping in with her.) Good luck!

 

[grammasmitty]

Our broody stayed inside the coop in a "public" nest. The other hens kept laying eggs with her in there and fortunately no eggs were broken. After a few days we marked all the eggs we wanted her to sit on and kept taking the new ones out. She wasn't too happy with us disturbing her, but it worked. She is a friendly hen. We gave her feed in the nest, but she had to come out for water. When the chicks were hatching, we hurried and transfered the whole nest contents to a box that sat on the floor so the chicks would be able to get in/out. We lost one to other hens pecking at it. Then we lost 4 more to the Magpies. 3 survived. We had a roo that worked hard to protect the whole flock, but the chicks could get out of the fence and into the grass. That is where the magpies got them. We now have a section of the coop and yard sectioned off and protected for future chicks.

 

[Angiebubs]

gtammassmitty: I am right there with you! My next challenge is: I have 14 lil chicks in 3 caged/brooders with their mommas. As soon as I start integrating them into the flock/letting them out to free range, I am going to have issues!!!
A) I have a GL Wyandotte whos mission is to pick on the bantys so I am sure she will bug the chicks
B) the fencing I have around the sides has to big of openings-last year the chicks would get outside the fence and the poor moms would have a heart attack calling to them. We have a bird dog that is outside and has to be brought in when I free range the flock daily-so we were constantly worried about them (didnt lose any fortunately). So this time, I will need to either put chicken fencing around the bottom foot or so of the run (aprox 20 ft x 40 ft) or put a small fneced run inside the larger run with the moms and chicks
C) we have a barn cat who loves the chickens and sees them as family! I even locked her in the coop at night, on the long stretch of -20+ temps we had this past winter. However, I dont think I can trust her to stay away from the chicks/or the moms to be able to defend them 24/7

An easier solution would probably build a small breeding coop/run inside what I currently have!

 

[rexannastar]

@Angiebubs , I like your idea of the rabbit cage. I think I might try that. I really want to somehow leave the hen in with her flock, but obviously need to keep her sectioned off. that might be the answer.

 

[Angiebubs]

It has worked out well for me, allowed chicks to experience the flock action, and I can easily monitor when I let them out. Plus they are pretty inexpensive.

 

[cheetaah]

My broody hen just hatched out two chicks today (fun!), and I'm waiting to see what happens with the other two eggs. Hard to say because I never candled them, but today was day 21. I got the eggs from a local farm when our hen would not stop brooding. If after a few days I move Squawk and her chicks to another location separate from the rest of the flock, how long should I keep them in there? I guess I'm mostly wondering how good the mamas are usually at protecting their brood, since with only two chicks there is not much room for error? If the other eggs do not hatch I will likely pick up 1-2 additional chicks to add to the group. I don't want many more chickens, but want this girl to be able to raise some babies.

How does the mama hen get out and about to forage in these early weeks if we're trying to keep her separated from the flock, or does she have to? Is the chick starter with grit enough for her and the chicks for awhile? When we put our pullets in with our hens in a couple of weeks we can move mama and her babies to the pullets' tractor, possibly, but maybe it will just be easiest for them to be integrated into the coop in hopes that she'll do a good job of protecting them. The four separate spaces I have available are: 1) an old 2x2 cupboard on legs converted to a nesting box, complete with doors, but with cut-outs with hardware cloth windows. This is where they are now. 2) the space under the cupboard plus a little, that can also be sectioned off, and then re-integrated first by removing the screen, then by removing the boards separating the floor area from the rest of the coop. 3) the rabbit hutch, similar in size, a bit bigger, maybe 2x3. 4) the tractor, which is 4x4 and secure, plus gives access to the outdoors, but is less protected from the elements. our 4 pullets (actually 3, one rooster will have to go in the near future) are in there now. Any advice?

 

[grammasmitty]

In my VERY limited experience (1 clutch of chicks), the mama hen easily kept the chicks safe as long as they couldn't get out of the fence where there was no one to watch over them. While they were in the fenced yard Mama fended off the other hens.

 

[Angiebubs]

I am experiencing something new this time around: Multiple hens with chicks. When I let the hen/chicks out-the hens are fighting! Either mom with mom, broody fighting a mom, or just random hen fighting the moms! Not seeming to go after the chicks at all-just hen fights! UGH!

 

[rexannastar]

we've got chicks! broody brahma hatched 5 chicks yesterday. she is separated but in her coop, and everyone is doing well! @Angiebubs, I did a hardware cloth version of your rabbit cage idea. so far so good!

 

[Angiebubs]

Rex: Sorry I JUST saw this-CONGRATS!!!!!

How are the chicks doing? Have you let them out of the cage at all? My first few days of letting the chicks out in the coop was stressful but everyone is now happily getting along just fine. Post some pics if you have them?