WAchickychicky
In the Brooder
- Nov 24, 2020
- 25
- 36
- 44
Question for you all- my jersey giant has her first group of 3 chicks. They are 10 weeks old and still sleeping in the nest, not going to the coop. She calls them into the nest each night, and shows no sign of wanting to sleep with our other hens. I need advice on when to pack up the nest, thus making them all sleep in the coop.
Information on our set-up: We have a small coop for 12 hens max. Currently we have 3 hens, the broody and her 3 chicks. The coop and the nest (a xl sized dog kennel with storage bin and shavings, insulated with cardboard) are in a large covered area with a big free range area outside. The babies still try to sleep under mom every night, but are comically large to be doing it. With a small flock, the other hens were scared enough of the broody to never get near the babies when they were little and I never needed to separate the little family. I figured at some point, the broody would get tired of the nest and go into the coop. No such luck. I would like to take advantage once again of my electric coop door and not have to tightly secure the dog kennel each night with bungee and heavy objects blocking the door (raccoon sightings in our yard) as well as open. Am I being lazy? Yes! But our coop is fort knox and I know they will ultimately be safer at night in there.
I know the young pullets are fully feathered, large enough and capable of sleeping in the coop...but the broody is still so very protective. Two weeks ago, our biggest hen was caught taking a late night snack and missed the electric gate closing, I went out to lock the kennel and saw the snacker sleeping next to the broody and babies in the kennel. As soon as my light hit the kennel, the broody began attacking the other hen, cutting her crown in three spots, lots of blood before I could get them apart. I am very worried that the broody may attack the other hens when everyone is in the coop at night. Any advice?
The broody is our largest hen, a jersey giant and a complete B.A. She attacked a hawk that came into the enclosure when the chicks were 5 weeks old. I am so proud of how wonderful of a mother she is, and want to be humane in the weaning process, as well as protect our other, smaller hens in the coop at night.
Information on our set-up: We have a small coop for 12 hens max. Currently we have 3 hens, the broody and her 3 chicks. The coop and the nest (a xl sized dog kennel with storage bin and shavings, insulated with cardboard) are in a large covered area with a big free range area outside. The babies still try to sleep under mom every night, but are comically large to be doing it. With a small flock, the other hens were scared enough of the broody to never get near the babies when they were little and I never needed to separate the little family. I figured at some point, the broody would get tired of the nest and go into the coop. No such luck. I would like to take advantage once again of my electric coop door and not have to tightly secure the dog kennel each night with bungee and heavy objects blocking the door (raccoon sightings in our yard) as well as open. Am I being lazy? Yes! But our coop is fort knox and I know they will ultimately be safer at night in there.
I know the young pullets are fully feathered, large enough and capable of sleeping in the coop...but the broody is still so very protective. Two weeks ago, our biggest hen was caught taking a late night snack and missed the electric gate closing, I went out to lock the kennel and saw the snacker sleeping next to the broody and babies in the kennel. As soon as my light hit the kennel, the broody began attacking the other hen, cutting her crown in three spots, lots of blood before I could get them apart. I am very worried that the broody may attack the other hens when everyone is in the coop at night. Any advice?
The broody is our largest hen, a jersey giant and a complete B.A. She attacked a hawk that came into the enclosure when the chicks were 5 weeks old. I am so proud of how wonderful of a mother she is, and want to be humane in the weaning process, as well as protect our other, smaller hens in the coop at night.
