Brooding and Incubating

[baabaamilker]

Hello all,

I haven't properly introduced myself. I've been a reader, your posts have been very informative. I'm not new to chickens, we've raised them off and on for about 10 years now. I am new however to hatching my own chicks. So I made a barter with a friend to get one of her incubators. Not long after I set my 42 (36 of which still remain) eggs in the 'bator one of my buff orpington's decides to go broody. She's been setting non stop for two days on a clutch of about 10 eggs. My concern is that she is still in the nesting box which is neither big enough for when the chicks hatch, nor is it a safe distance off the floor for new chicks.

I need to know the best way to move her so as not to distract her from her duty. I was thinking of getting a cat litter box with the top on to place her in. I would put this on the floor of the chicken coop so she is still with everybody but she has a safer place for her babies. Any advice would be really appreciated. I'm excited she has decided to stick with it so far but am afraid of making it so she decides otherwise.

In the meantime I can see little chicky feet kicking around inside the eggs in the 'bator. Babies, babies, babies, everywhere. I love it!

Denise

 

[luvmypets]

Broodies yay. Ok i like your idea of moving her nest. However sometimes they return to the same nest searching for her eggs when you moved them. GL and its the same here to chicks, ducklings and a lamb...gotta babies

 

[baabaamilker]

Hhhhmm, I may leave her and try to create a safer situation for the babies then. I had three looking broody. Two Buff's and a Bantam. However, when I created a brooding spot for them they decided they didn't like that place and stopped.


We also have baby goats and rabbits here.Cocker Spaniel puppies to follow and possibly kitties too.

 

[16 paws]

Hello all,

I haven't properly introduced myself. I've been a reader, your posts have been very informative. I'm not new to chickens, we've raised them off and on for about 10 years now. I am new however to hatching my own chicks. So I made a barter with a friend to get one of her incubators. Not long after I set my 42 (36 of which still remain) eggs in the 'bator one of my buff orpington's decides to go broody. She's been setting non stop for two days on a clutch of about 10 eggs. My concern is that she is still in the nesting box which is neither big enough for when the chicks hatch, nor is it a safe distance off the floor for new chicks.

I need to know the best way to move her so as not to distract her from her duty. I was thinking of getting a cat litter box with the top on to place her in. I would put this on the floor of the chicken coop so she is still with everybody but she has a safer place for her babies. Any advice would be really appreciated. I'm excited she has decided to stick with it so far but am afraid of making it so she decides otherwise.

In the meantime I can see little chicky feet kicking around inside the eggs in the 'bator. Babies, babies, babies, everywhere. I love it!

Denise

Hi Denise,
When I moved my broody to a better place she would not sit on the eggs. I moved her at night but in the morning she would not keep them warm. Had to throw them out at day 6 and start her over. She went right back to her old nest and sat on nothing! The reason I moved her is because the other hens were sitting on her trying to lay their eggs in there. It is also 24 inches off the ground. It is a triple nest box but the other girls just liked her spot.
When I started over I just left her there and put chicken wire all around her. That worked.

The hatch was a disaster anyway though. She is a Jersey Giant and cracked a few of her eggs. The eggs were soiled and only one hatched and It died.

Still dont know what happened.
So I went and got her 3 chicks from the feedstore and she is happily raising them now.

Hope this helps in some way....
Marie

 

[baabaamilker]

Thank you, yes your response if helpful.

I tried chicken wiring off a separate section of the coop for them and put them in the nest boxes there, but as I said they wanted the boxes they had chosen. We'll figure something out. I'm pretty sure she is going to stop setting if I move her. None of the other hens are bothering her that I can tell though so that is a plus.