There is a broody hen thread that will answer all your questions (and then some LOL). Consensus has it that you should have a separate, secure area for the chicks and hen once the eggs have hatched. This is to keep the other chickens from harming the chicks as well as to ensure they are getting their food and water. The chicks do not need to eat for 3 days after they hatch. This will give the hen some time to stay on the eggs that have not hatched for a few more days in case they are almost ready. After you have determined they are all done hatching, move all of the chicks and the hen to their new coop at floor level. Mom will show them the food and water and keep them warm when they are sleeping.That was what brought me here today was to ask about broody hens. I have a hen sitting for two plus weeks so far. She is pretty serious. She is an older hen. 16 months old. She has a sister that looks like she is getting ready too. I need to build some kind of broody box because my coop is not necessarily tiny chick friendly. Will the hen allow me to provide a ground floor box once the chicks are hatched? They will not be able to get back in the nest once they come out. It is up in the wall. I did not candle the eggs but I did handle them and they seemed to be light enough that they are likely all good. I was primarily checking for rotten ones. My question is, once they hatch, do they all come out of the nest. Or do they stay in there a bit? I have to block off my waterer and provide something more chick friendly but otherwise I figure they will be able to eat from the wall mounted feeder due to the routine spillage. I will load it up with Flock Raiser 19% Are chicks capable of using ladder type walkways? Will they climb up one if I provide it or should I just move them to a single level situation?
if you want I will try and take a picture of her tomorrow
Those two are cockerels. The top one will undoubtedly develop way too much copper on his breast to be used as a breeder (if that is your goal). With luck, your other two will be pullets!My first Copper Marans. Picked up four, day-old chicks at a swap meet.
They were very tiny.
These two have grown twice the size of the others, and one is getting copper feathers at three weeks.
Thanks. These four were just a "find"... 15 dollars for the four no background info... impulse addition to my chicken math.
I am growing out a batch of BCM's that are 8 1/2 weeks old. Am I the only one that finds the males of this breed start crowing around 6 weeks and start becoming obnoxious by 9? We've had a few other breeds of males this year and their crowing didn't start until around 13-14 weeks. Maybe it's because my Marans tend to be in a group with lots of other cockerels?
Regardless, I've culled down to 4 of the best cockerels and they're already trying to jump on the pullets and are crowing obnoxiously!
