Another new chicken keeper

[Terryjr]

Hens started laying a few days ago. I think 2 of them are actively laying daily the last 4 days

 

[drumstick diva]

Congratulations on the first eggs, and welcome to Backyard Chickens.

 

[TwoCrows]

Hens started laying a few days ago. I think 2 of them are actively laying daily the last 4 days

 

[Backyard Hencam]

Welcome Terry! Loved your video. You have quite a set up! Lucky chickens. Thank you for the taking the time to share your coop with us. Love your water system! Best of luck with your new flock. Looks like you've considered just about everything.

 

[Terryjr]

Hi again. It's been a couple years now. Chickens still doing well. Not sure if I mentioned it but a few months into keeping them we had coyotes come grab 6 or our 14 chickens. Oddly they were all 4 of our barred rocks and two of the ISA browns. And two of the barred rocks turning out to be roosters and we're moved to a farm.

This leaves 8 hens in the coop. 4 ISA, 2 asian black, 2 Buff Orpington, and they haven't free ranged since the coyote incident. Recently the bottom of the pecking order Buff Orpington has gone broody. So knowing that out ISA getting towards end of life span, we (the wife) decided to get 8 fertilized eggs from a farm. A mix bag of eggs, 3 silkies, a couple greenish eggs, a brown egg, a white egg..blah blah. So now they are under our broody hen, day 1, and she's in the nesting box. 1 of 3 but all the hens seem to use the same box on other end. I put her and her new eggs in a box they rarely use.

That's where were at. Ideally she hatches her eggs, hangs out in the coop with them with the flock and happy trails. But obviously I'm planning for the worst. I don't know if run is big enough for them to keep to themselves. Run is 10'x20' and 8' high. The coop is 4'x8' and the hens only use it to lay eggs in nesting boxes. The hen have literally slept in run up on a branch for last 18 months, even in below zero temps. Im considering putting up poultry wire on the outside to fence off a roughly 50'x30' area attached to run. I assume older hens will just jump over fence but that will give them somewhere safer to come back to to free range and give momma more space. Just not sure if current area is big enough. Pic attached of hens favorite sleeping branch.

 

[GermanKennhuhn]

Thanks for the update! Sorry for your losses.

 

[Stipenvlerk]

thank you for updating!

 

[Terryjr]

Mumma hen just did here daily eat/drink/poo so I guess everything is going a cording to nature so far. First time in a week I e seen her move but I don't watch often

 

[Terryjr]

Found moms hen in the wrong nest box earlier and an other chickens egg in the mix, so I assume she was bullied out by another egg laying hen. So I built her a new box, moved the eggs into it and put her on the other side of coop seemed fine and happy til she got up to eat/drink/poo then she couldn't find her nest and just layed in an empty nest box again. I moved her back to her nest, she's fine again, cuddled the eggs up under her and been sitting a couple hours. Am I gonna continue to have a problem with her forgetting where she left her eggs?

Video update, pre-nest debacle

 

[sourland]

You may if she has other 'choices' as to where she can set. I'd keep an eye on her and limit available nest sites.