Broody Hen Thread!

[adstowe]

So this just crossed my mind. While Bertha is on the nest, I've been giving her the regular layer feed that she's gotten all along. She also gets scrambled egg/tuna and some raw veggies daily. Since she's not laying, should she be getting something different?

When the chicks hatch, how do I make sure the bigs don't eat all the chick feed? The bigs pellets are hanging too high for babies to reach, so that's not an issue. I have water in a bucket with nipples for babies that the bigs have to bend down for, but they can go outside to get water from a higher bucket.

I have chicks in their own pen now with food/water, but any chicks Bertha hatches won't be penned unless she doesn't mother very well. Do I just make a frame with openings too small for the bigs to get in but the babies can still get their feed? Or, as current feed runs out, should I get something they can all eat? Is that what All Flock is? I don't know how well the bigs would eat crumble, but I could start fermenting it. I'd like to plan ahead. We're about 2 weeks in already.

I would just put them all on a non-medicated starter/grower. It would be the simplest way to do things and a lot of people leave their birds on it for life. Just make sure to provide oyster shell on the side for the laying hens who need the added calcium. You should have not problem with your adult birds transitioning over to crumbles.

 

[aart]

Or, as current feed runs out, should I get something they can all eat?

That's what I do...I use a 20% protein-~1% calcium 'all flock' type feed.
But I still make a creep feeder for the babies so they can eat in peace.

 

[adstowe]

That's what I do...I use a 20% protein-~1% calcium 'all flock' type feed.
But I still make a creep feeder for the babies so they can eat in peace.
View attachment 1378044

That's a great setup!

 

[Redhead Rae]

That's what I do...I use a 20% protein-~1% calcium 'all flock' type feed.
But I still make a creep feeder for the babies so they can eat in peace.
View attachment 1378044

Gives me an idea for creating a feeder that my Little’s can eat of but my older birds can’t. I can use 1” x 2” welded wire box with a cover to keep their food in.

 

[fisherlady]

I do like the others have mentioned... creep feeders are great when dealing with little ones in the flock.

 

[trudyg]

Yay! Bertha pooped! I've been worried. Came home today and she had a huge poop in the crate, had spilled her water all over so it was good and mushy, and ate all her scrambled egg and some cheese. I gave her fresh water and was concerned-don't know how long since she dumped it-- and, by the time I tended to the chicks, there was bedding in the water so she had to have come out to drink. I'm so glad.

Also, thanks for the advice on starter/grower. I can make a circle out of some 3" wire and put the chick feed in there so they can eat in peace. I'll just switch to one feed for all of them as what I have runs out.

 

[LaurEliz]

Here is my broody: A lovely cochin. When we bought her as a chick, and later bought younger chicks, she was very sweet to them and they always ran under her like they thought she was their mom.
This year, I didn't think any of my hens would go broody, so I incubated some eggs. Six hatched last Wednesday and Thursday. Now, I suppose I'll have more babies than I thought. Oh well. The more the merrier (more so currently when I can let them out really early to free range and get them back in late at night. I'm sure I'll regret all of this in the winter )

 

[fisherlady]

@LaurEliz
She is beautiful... And we all wonder 'what was I thinking' when dealing with winter coop chores!

 

[kannna]

Just gave Lizzie 14 eggs...

 

[trudyg]

So today I get home and Bertha is off the nest and no longer broody. The eggs under her were like normal just laid eggs, except one that had a very bloody yolk. She was on them 2 weeks, so I would have expected at least some development. Oh well, here's hoping someone goes broody again in the future and manages it well.