Australia - Six states..and that funny little island.

Sparky74 · May 7, 2017

Sparky74 said:
Has anyone had any experience with a wool hen?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1133855/a-wool-hen-creating-one-today

I made one yesterday and turned off the heat lamp. I was very nervous last night but everyone seems happy and healthy this morning in spite of overnight lows of 7°C. Some of these chicks are only a couple of days old.

I've decided that heat lamps are a definite hazard. I didn't have mine high enough and my 2 week old Araucana chicks have slight burns on the tops of their heads. I feel dreadful but it won't happen again. With the wool hen I don't need a lamp anymore!

...

I just want to add some additional praise for the wool hen. You can find pics of mine in post #95 of this thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1133855/a-wool-hen-creating-one-today/90

We had our first frost this morning and the temperature dropped to 1°C and the 3 week old Araucana chicks are all happy and healthy.

I was a little nervous as there's only 4 of them (all the other chicks sold at the fete on Saturday) and I was concerned that they mightn't have enough combined body heat but all is well. I'm glad that I didn't succumb to temptation and give them a hot water bottle or worse yet, a heat lamp(!) as this now proves in my mind that a heat source really is unnecessary when brooding chicks. All they need is decent insulation.

woods2017 · May 7, 2017

sjturner79 said:
Find out what her favorite traeats are and sit out in the yard with her some where and place a few out in front of you. After a while she will get brave enough to eat them, and after that she will start to trust you more if you do it often

thankyou

yes she has come up very close to us when wse let them freerange, just when we slowly put our hand out to touch her back se runs off, i think also she is younger than the others , we will get there ...More Patience for us i think

Sparky74 · May 7, 2017

woods2017 said:
thankyou yes she has come up very close to us when wse let them freerange, just when we slowly put our hand out to touch her back se runs off, i think also she is younger than the others , we will get there ...More Patience for us i think

Patience, patience, patience!

Try some (dry) rolled oats. That usually tempts my girls over and eventually wins their trust.

nicky chicky · May 7, 2017

sjturner79 said:
She sounds like she trying to decide where she wants to lay her eggs. They should not go broody before they lay at least 2 eggs. You will know she broody when she spends most of the day sitting in the nest box and yells at you if you get close.
My silkies are good layers when they are not broody or moulting.

so you were spot on my little silkie (lollipop ) gave us her first perfect creamy coloured egg today.