Broody Hen Thread!

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abserbean said:
My broody and her two chicks are still sleeping in the nest box, and it is making for a mess! I think she wants to take them to roost, but the other hens are pecking the chicks on the roost, so she takes them back in the box. The chicks are just over four weeks old, and are ready to roost, but the big girls aren't making it easy for them. They don't mess with the chicks during the day, but night is a different story. Honestly, there isn't enough room on the roost for all seven of them. While they physically fit, it is pretty tight quarters. The coop was designed originally for four-five birds, but I could maybe add another roost in a pinch. A smaller coop isn't that big of a deal here. I live in Florida, and the girls are never inside unless they are sleeping or laying their eggs, but I don't want to be cramming them into a tiny house. I do have plans to make a larger coop soon, I have a wooden playhouse that I'm going to convert as soon as I can get it to my house from my friends place. I guess I will just have to deal with a dirty nest box until then, because I don't think she will take them to roost with the older hens picking on them.
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You may have to build them an additional roost... it could be a shelf instead of a bar if you want, I often have the youngest in the coop roosting on sand shelves below the level of the 'big birds'. Just make a 'picture frame' out of 2x4s in the desired size (maybe 1 foot x 2 ft) then tack a piece of thin plywood to the bottom of it. turn it over, attach legs to each corner, make it tall enough to maybe straddle the opening to your nest boxes but preferably low enough to be slightly lower than the other roost bars. Set it in the coop, you may need to put a screw through the back of it into a coop wall to make it more secure... fill it with an inch or two of sand (you can add some PDZ stall refresher to it if you want).... having a wide shelf allows the mama hen to move the chicks up and either cover them while they are setting on the flat sand or perch with them on the edge of the shelf.
 
My golden laced wyandotte is sitting on eggs :) She found the box that I raised my chicks in and seems comfortable there. Neither of us have been through this before. Excited, but nervous :)
 
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2 of my hens 10 eggs have hatched so far!
jumpy.gif
They were due to hatch yesterday. One hatched last night, and one hatched today at 6:00 Am. I assume the rest who successfully developed will hatch today and tomorrow :)
Anyways, PICTURES:













I will be moving Rhonda along with her chicks into the house this afternoon (around 3:00)
 
fisherlady said:
You may have to build them an additional roost... it could be a shelf instead of a bar if you want, I often have the youngest in the coop roosting on sand shelves below the level of the 'big birds'. Just make a 'picture frame' out of 2x4s in the desired size (maybe 1 foot x 2 ft) then tack a piece of thin plywood to the bottom of it. turn it over, attach legs to each corner, make it tall enough to maybe straddle the opening to your nest boxes but preferably low enough to be slightly lower than the other roost bars. Set it in the coop, you may need to put a screw through the back of it into a coop wall to make it more secure... fill it with an inch or two of sand (you can add some PDZ stall refresher to it if you want).... having a wide shelf allows the mama hen to move the chicks up and either cover them while they are setting on the flat sand or perch with them on the edge of the shelf.
Click to expand...
That is a good design idea, I will have to see if it will fit it my current coop! We have had a bad case of chicken math this year with my broodies, running out of space. We are fine during the day, they have huge runs and free range for most of the day if I am home, it's just the sleeping quarters. I need to rehome a few pullets, but we have become so attached, and at 25 weeks would like to wait and see their first eggs (hopefully soon). Our four hens from last year has turned into 14 this year, we just didn't plan for that!
 
fisherlady said:
You may have to build them an additional roost... it could be a shelf instead of a bar if you want, I often have the youngest in the coop roosting on sand shelves below the level of the 'big birds'. Just make a 'picture frame' out of 2x4s in the desired size (maybe 1 foot x 2 ft) then tack a piece of thin plywood to the bottom of it. turn it over, attach legs to each corner, make it tall enough to maybe straddle the opening to your nest boxes but preferably low enough to be slightly lower than the other roost bars. Set it in the coop, you may need to put a screw through the back of it into a coop wall to make it more secure... fill it with an inch or two of sand (you can add some PDZ stall refresher to it if you want).... having a wide shelf allows the mama hen to move the chicks up and either cover them while they are setting on the flat sand or perch with them on the edge of the shelf.
Click to expand...
Good idea, I would like to try this!
Marie
 
Its always a crap shoot but I think it's probably best to give it a try. If the hen dies because of a coyote, the odds of the remaining eggs hatching successfully is not good. good luck
 

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