broody buff question

[Nanili]

So my Buff, Dolly has been broody for almost two weeks I think. In preparation for trying to get her to accept chicks (which we haven't bought yet), I put her in the chick cage inside the coop, with food and water and her fake egg she's been sitting on. It was a little before dusk when I did this and I have been watching her for about an hour an a half. It's dark now and she's still kind of freaking and hasn't settled into the box that has her bedding and fake egg. Also it will be 46F tonight. Should I put her back in her normal nesting box with her fake egg or leave her in the cage? I'm worried she is going to be unsettled all night and/or get too cold. Should I wait to do this in the day time? We are planning to introduce chicks in the next few days and I wanted her to be accustomed to the chick cage inside the coop. Help!

 

[cavemanrich]

Dolly will be just fine in 46°F ambient. Let her get used to the cage. Is the cage large enough for her to feel comfortable??? Is the cage really needed??? I don't know how your coop looks, and am sure you need to have chicks protected from the other adult chickens you already have. Is her normal nesting box not good to use as chick housing? Many peeps just use a netting barrier to isolate the hen and chicks, for initial period of time. The hen is there to protect the chicks. Netting keeps other adult chickens out, and chicks in. Your cage will accomplish same, but if small, may cause some comfort issues for you broody.
WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[SurferchickinSB]

So my Buff, Dolly has been broody for almost two weeks I think. In preparation for trying to get her to accept chicks (which we haven't bought yet), I put her in the chick cage inside the coop, with food and water and her fake egg she's been sitting on. It was a little before dusk when I did this and I have been watching her for about an hour an a half. It's dark now and she's still kind of freaking and hasn't settled into the box that has her bedding and fake egg. Also it will be 46F tonight. Should I put her back in her normal nesting box with her fake egg or leave her in the cage? I'm worried she is going to be unsettled all night and/or get too cold. Should I wait to do this in the day time? We are planning to introduce chicks in the next few days and I wanted her to be accustomed to the chick cage inside the coop. Help!

Why did you move her? She may lose her broodiness and also she needs to be sitting for three weeks before you introduce any chicks, otherwise she may harm them and not accept them. Usually as long as there is enough room, she will be able to protect her babies.

 

[Nanili]

Dolly will be just fine in 46°F ambient. Let her get used to the cage. Is the cage large enough for her to feel comfortable??? Is the cage really needed??? I don't know how your coop looks, and am sure you need to have chicks protected from the other adult chickens you already have. Is her normal nesting box not good to use as chick housing? Many peeps just use a netting barrier to isolate the hen and chicks, for initial period of time. The hen is there to protect the chicks. Netting keeps other adult chickens out, and chicks in. Your cage will accomplish same, but if small, may cause some comfort issues for you broody.
WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Thank you for your response. Her cage is pretty roomy in my opinion. She can walk around a bit and has food and water in there as well as a box with her (fake for now) egg and bedding. It's bigger than just her nesting box. I just felt bad trapping her in her small box (where she was brooding) in anticipation of needing food and water in there for her and her (future) chicks. She would have knocked over food and water every time she moved in the box she was in originally. I'm pretty nervous about the adults pecking the (future) babies as it will be the first time I try to introduce chicks under a broody. We'll see what happens. Open to any advice you have. Thanks!

 

[Nanili]

Why did you move her? She may lose her broodiness and also she needs to be sitting for three weeks before you introduce any chicks, otherwise she may harm them and not accept them. Usually as long as there is enough room, she will be able to protect her babies.

Why did you move her? She may lose her broodiness and also she needs to be sitting for three weeks before you introduce any chicks, otherwise she may harm them and not accept them. Usually as long as there is enough room, she will be able to protect her babies.

Thanks for your response. See my response to cavemanrich as to why I moved her. We will see if she loses her broodiness before we introduce chicks and watch her closely to ensure she doesn't harm them (as best we can--with a backup plan). I was given the advice not to wait too much longer than two weeks because if it is too late, she could harm them. I guess people have different ideas about this. I'm open to suggestions.

 

[SurferchickinSB]

Thanks for your response. See my response to cavemanrich as to why I moved her. We will see if she loses her broodiness before we introduce chicks and watch her closely to ensure she doesn't harm them (as best we can--with a backup plan). I was given the advice not to wait too much longer than two weeks because if it is too late, she could harm them. I guess people have different ideas about this. I'm open to suggestions.

Well, I wish you luck! There is nothing so cute as watching a mama take care of her babies!

 

[cavemanrich]

Open to any advice you have. Thanks!

When you slip the chicks under her, do it a night in darkness.

 

[Nanili]

Thanks for the advice. Dolly didn't continue sitting on her fake egg in the broody box that I moved her too, even though she spent the night in there. Her egg was cold and she was acting frantic in the morning, so I moved her back out and she settled in her nesting box again, on top of the fake egg. She has been there all day now. I just think the nesting box is too small to add food and water to, so I'm not sure what to do because it appears that SurferchickinSB is right about not moving her. Maybe I just need to wait on the babies.

 

[SurferchickinSB]

Thanks for the advice. Dolly didn't continue sitting on her fake egg in the broody box that I moved her too, even though she spent the night in there. Her egg was cold and she was acting frantic in the morning, so I moved her back out and she settled in her nesting box again, on top of the fake egg. She has been there all day now. I just think the nesting box is too small to add food and water to, so I'm not sure what to do because it appears that SurferchickinSB is right about not moving her. Maybe I just need to wait on the babies.

Can you post a picture of her current set up? You still might be able to get it to work.