Broody Hen Success

[Natty Bumppo]

One of my Buckeye hens hatched three of her eggs and the chicks are now nearly a week old, and the hen seems to be a good and attentive mother.

She is currently segregated in a box about 3' x 3' in the corner of the coop with a wire mesh lid and shavings, and I am having trouble keeping her from filling the chick watering and feeding containers with shavings. She scratches furiously on the floor and anything nearby gets buried. Maybe I should get rid of most of the shavings?

Is it too early to let her out into the run with the other four hens and the roo?

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

It is too early to let her and her chicks run with the rest, but can you section a part off in the run for her and her chicks? This is what I do - have a section that is just for broodies with their babies - they can see the flock and talk thru the fence but the chicks are safe. I usually let my broody take her chicks into the main flock when they are about 6 weeks old, I want mom to protect the babies but the babies large enough to run from a mean roo or hen.


For me, I have found if she is a great scratcher, I just have to change the water more often

- sorry know it is no help. Might try putting the water on a 2x4 so it is a bit raised.

 

[NewEnglandChick]

What is her "box" made of? They make small metal feeding dishes that hang on wire. If her box has wire walls, you could hang the feeders off the side so they'd be off the floor a bit but still low enough for the chicks. If the side of her box is made of wood, perhaps you could cut some wire, nail it to the wall and then hang the feeders off that wire. They're only about $2 or $3 each (I actually just got some because one of my hens is currently broody and I'm planning on getting her some eggs to hatch and sectioning off a part of the coop for her).

Just an idea though, until you can reunite everyone.

 

[mstricer]

Shes teaching them to scratch and look for goodies mine did the same I just kept refilling and raising as chicks grew. you can also use straw a little less messy.