Broody Hen Thread!

[Lady of McCamley]

I'm going to have to live my broody to her coop pretty soon, should I leave her box and all or can I move her and the eggs into the nestbox??

I'm not sure what you are asking due to the typo...but if you are asking about moving her...and you really do need to move her from where she is at...I would do so now before your important eggs come. I would move her at night with her egg...literally transferring her and egg at the same time. Being a Silkie she will likely give you an evil glare and settle right back in if the brooding coop is nice with a comfortable isolated and quiet and dark nest box.

If you do not have to move her...don't. Some birds don't like being moved and will reject the new nest with eggs trying to go back to the old nest...however didn't you just get this bird from someone and essentially move her brooding across 2 farms? I'd be surprised if she bats an eye ...still best to do at night so she settles and adjusts quickly.

If you were asking to move nest and all to new coop, that is often a good idea to simply move the whole dog crate or whatever..I would carry her and egg separately as she might freak and crush the egg in transit if she senses the nest is "falling" by sensing it is moving.

However if you've got a nice nest box that you want her and those special eggs in...move her and her egg now and let her settle before they come.

HTH
Lady of McCamley

 

[sonz77]

I'm not sure what you are asking due to the typo...but if you are asking about moving her...and you really do need to move her from where she is at...I would do so now before your important eggs come. I would move her at night with her egg...literally transferring her and egg at the same time. Being a Silkie she will likely give you an evil glare and settle right back in if the brooding coop is nice with a comfortable isolated and quiet and dark nest box.

If you do not have to move her...don't. Some birds don't like being moved and will reject the new nest with eggs trying to go back to the old nest...however didn't you just get this bird from someone and essentially move her brooding across 2 farms? I'd be surprised if she bats an eye ...still best to do at night so she settles and adjusts quickly.

If you were asking to move nest and all to new coop, that is often a good idea to simply move the whole dog crate or whatever..I would carry her and egg separately as she might freak and crush the egg in transit if she senses the nest is "falling" by sensing it is moving.

However if you've got a nice nest box that you want her and those special eggs in...move her and her egg now and let her settle before they come.

HTH
Lady of McCamley

My apologies, yes move her, stupid autocorrect!
She can go into the new coop box and all, She moved out of the carrier and into the box beside it yesterday, I think the others were bothering her as they were all crowding in the carrier. She has 2 eggs under her now, one of the others laid yesterday, lol, Apparently she is quite happy brooding!

The new coop is almost set up for them. I just don't want to really upset her.
I guess integrating this particular flock of chickens into my other flock is going to have to wait for quite some time also? I wouldn't want to mess it all up now by putting them in with the main flock, which are pretty much all juveniles.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

yes I'd wait to integrate...moving a broody is enough adjustment. Having to then adjust to new birds could really stress her.

 

[Emcrowston]

I have 4 eight week old chicks separate to my laying flock. They are currently on growers pellets. What age shall I move them onto layers pellets and is it ok to integrate them with the laying flock at the same time. They are nearly as big as the rest already. Thanks for any info.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I have 4 eight week old chicks separate to my laying flock. They are currently on growers pellets. What age shall I move them onto layers pellets and is it ok to integrate them with the laying flock at the same time. They are nearly as big as the rest already. Thanks for any info.

You should move pullets onto layer pellet only when they are close to laying as it has too much calcium for a non-laying pullet.

Usually that is 16 to 20 weeks.

Yes you can integrate them then otherwise you need to put everyone on flock raiser and supplement with free choice oyster shell or calcite grit if you have layers and pullets together. The laying hens should instinctively eat the supplements as they need the calcium.

Lady of McCamley

 

[sonz77]

Well, the move was very smooth. The cardboard box she's in will do for this hatch I think. It's quite large, but keeps her sheltered at least. She didn't panic or make hardly a sound while we walked across the yard. Sure glad I got that little playhouse! Got a floor in today , still need a few things, but most of it can wait. Just the roost bars need in sooner.

So, if i decide to go with her on the eggs, how many can she have under her?? She's not huge and that would make 14 eggs?

 

[jojosthings]

Ok news from broody manor!! one of the three eggs was a dude! She rolled it out and it had an unformed sloshy chick in it! the other 2 she kept and wouldn't leave... This morning they'd died trying to get out of their shells

so 3 died mid hatch! And 2 died just after!

That leaves us with only 4 out of a possible 9! Lesson learnt! Just have one broody in there at a time! Stealing each others eggs and fighting over chicks has ruined a really good hatch!! now do I give all 4 chicks to one mammy!?! or let them both sleep in the hut!!??!

 

[chickarooo]

I am sorry to hear about ur deaths

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Ok news from broody manor!! one of the three eggs was a dude! She rolled it out and it had an unformed sloshy chick in it! the other 2 she kept and wouldn't leave... This morning they'd died trying to get out of their shells

so 3 died mid hatch! And 2 died just after!

That leaves us with only 4 out of a possible 9! Lesson learnt! Just have one broody in there at a time! Stealing each others eggs and fighting over chicks has ruined a really good hatch!! now do I give all 4 chicks to one mammy!?! or let them both sleep in the hut!!??!

Sorry to hear about your loses. Yep...that's been my mistake as well. Had too many broodies (3!) in the one brooding hutch and they all kept swapping nests until one just abandoned a nest. Had a poor hatch rate on that too, 5 out of 14. :/ ...so I learnt my lesson too.

I'd either give all chicks to one momma, the most committed and calm one, or can you subdivide and have two mommas, each with the ones she hatched?

I subdivided my brooding hutch (think rabbit hutch with two end boxes and a short wire run area connecting the two for a roost). I simply had my husband cut a board with a notch out for the roost pole and voila, 2 separate end boxes with half runs. I can put it in or take it out as need be for subdividing and integrating. It's actually been the best thing that I've done as I use it all the time as my needs change.

Good luck!
Lady of McCamley

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Well, the move was very smooth. The cardboard box she's in will do for this hatch I think. It's quite large, but keeps her sheltered at least. She didn't panic or make hardly a sound while we walked across the yard. Sure glad I got that little playhouse! Got a floor in today , still need a few things, but most of it can wait. Just the roost bars need in sooner.

So, if i decide to go with her on the eggs, how many can she have under her?? She's not huge and that would make 14 eggs?

Cute chicken coop!

There is no hard and fast rule as to how many a hen can handle...it really is, the number she can give attention and care to. It is also more her "spread factor" than size factor.

My little Silkie has a BIG spread factor. She fluffs and extends until she's the size of a luncheon plate. I've placed 6 eggs under her, but she could easily handle 8...maybe more???

I would think 14 would be a big order for a Silkie. EDITED TO SAY: assuming you mean full size, standard eggs. If you mean banty size silky eggs, I bet she could easily handle 10 to maybe more....my Silkie kept stealing eggs from the other hens, and she was on 8 full size eggs. They weren't fertile, so I don't know if she was keeping all of those warm, but she sure could spread over them, and she still wanted more!

Since this is your first time with a broody and with an incubator, why not divide and conquer? Put half under the broody and half under the incubator. My guess is your brooding Silkie will have a good hatch rate, probably better than your incubator first attempt.

Also be aware that 50% is often considered a good hatch rate for mail ordered eggs.

Good Luck! Let us know how it turns out
Lady of McCamley