Broody Hen Thread!

[MesMama]

We have a coop attached to a run that the birds are in most of the time - they only free range on a limited basis as we have a large number of neighborhood dogs that are not kept confined/at home and our current property is small with occupied properties very close. My previous flock free ranged most of the time with only being confined to the run as needed because our location then was a large property surrounded by crop fields with the nearest occupied property being 1/2 mile away. Can't say I've spent any time chasing chicks in either setup.
I've had broodies take that have taken their babies right out with the rest of the flock as soon as they left the nest after hatching and I've had broodies who keep to themselves for a few days after. This last time around (my first hatching in many years, so I had forgotten how little worry is really needed) I did have them sectioned off within the main coop for the first three days or so - then realized that I was having to put a lot more work into this whole thing than I remembered ever doing with previous hatches and realized that was the only difference - I had created work and worry for myself by trying to maintain them in their own section of things. Most of the worry/panic in these situations is, indeed, unique to the human component of the whole affair. Babies may wander a bit far afield from mama now and then but one or the other will call out and a family reunion takes place - have yet to have anyone get separated and unable to get back together on their own. My babies have never had an issue going up and down ramps, etc. with their mother - she goes, they follow - if they don't figure it out right off they call out and she comes back for a one-on-one lesson on how to navigate that particular obstacle.
The flock gives them their space - more often than a flock member intruding on the chicks it is the chicks that wander a bit away from their mother and invade the space of a flock member. At those times, the older chicken gives the chick a deserved reminder of the courtesies of chicken society and the chick runs back to mama. If/when mama feels someone is being overly aggressive about the lessons of chick manners, she will step in - but she is also a good judge of when her little ones are out of line (wouldn't it be nice if the same were true of humans) and will let the lessons be given.
I honestly, in all my years and multiple hatches, can't think of a single chick I've lost - in fact, quite the opposite, my broody raised chicks that are allowed to just "be chickens" from day one are generally healthier, grow better and come along all around more vigorously. I have not once had a situation where a flock member injured or killed a chick, where a chick just got hopelessly lost and died, etc.

I love this mind set

I think I am going to just let the mamas hatch them with the rest of the birds (there are only 9 total) and just let them be. I've been going back and forth on this in my mind for the last 24 hours, to separate them or not to...ugh. I would feel terrible if something happened, but man I just want to keep things simple ya know? None of my birds are particularly sassy or pecky so I really think they will be fine?

 

[MesMama]

I feel good too about the amount of space I have for them all, an acre of fenced in pasture and their coop is 12x12 It sounds like space can be an issue, so that's good that I don't have that going against me.

How high can chicks jump to get to the roost? That might be an issue? Ours are a foot up, I believe? Need to check, but just wondering what the babies do at night

Also, those of you that have the babies with everyone else, do you give your mamas/babies the chick starter? And how do you keep the others from eating it?

 

[SIMZ]

Thanks to all of you! I've learned a lot. Like I said, mine intermingle after a few weeks, but are semi-contained in field fencing until then. The little ones can go in and out, but they don't go far. It's already easier than brooding myself, but I see that it could also be a lot easier than I make it.

Whoever said they were making it more worrisome by keeping them confined - thanks! I'm sure that's what my problem is because it is a worrisome pain & hassle with these broodies - mostly dealing with the fences. LOL

I'm going to go ahead and open up the fence when I get home in a few hours and see how it goes. The hen with older chicks was already out with the rest for a bit yesterday and she's been standing by the fence most of the day.

I'll also let the hen & little ones go where they please. Then maybe I'll put myself in the hutch so I just leave them be instead of hovering around chasing them into corners.

 

[Ducklinggirl101]

Ok, my question is kind of related to this topic. But what does the broody chicken do after her first chick hatches?

 

[PD-Riverman]

How do you close it up at night so nothing can dig under? I like this setup! It looks totally doable and not super complicated

Keep in mind I am in SC. Semi-mild winters and not many broodies during the coldest times of the year-----so this is the way it stays most all the time. If I have a broody in the dead of winter---it takes a couple minutes to staple cut open feed sacks on part of it. This pen is movable and I move it where I need it----to protect them from winds etc. If I decide to move it and its got hens with chicks----I wait till they are in the boxes after dark and slide it where I need it. If I was going to move it a long way----again I would wait till they all were in the boxes---then I have a "door" to close them up in box-----because if I am going to move it a good distance----I pick it up with the front end loader on the tractor and carry it to the new location.

It has 1/2 hardware cloth on the sides, 2"x4"wire on the bottom, which makes it pretty safe from most preditors---including snakes as long as there is no opening around the bottom----which I would not allow because of chicks getting out or snakes just crawling right in. These hatching pens and most All my pens are inside a 6ft tall fenced in section(little over a acre) so for a bigger preditor---it first has to get through that fence to get to the other fences----then ALL my regular chicken pens are made using chain-link dog kennel panels---plus now the fenced in section is patrolled by a young Great Pyreneese that is getting bigger(50lb right now) every day.

The hen hatches and roost after the chicks hatch in one of the 4 boxes. When the chicks get a few weeks old I move her and the chicks to another, bigger--still private-- pen----or sooner if I need to free up a hatching pen.

This pen does have a roost/perch in the open section----if you will look hard you can see it or see where the silver washer is on the sides----a screw goes through the washers and screws into the roost/perch. These pens do have a door in each(towards the middle---yellow plastic doors) that I can open and allow one hen/chicks say to use 1 or 2 or 3 or all 4 sections---if none of the others are being used.

The other pens I use to move the chicks too are cheap to build, easy to move, etc. If there is a interest I will post a picture of one of them.

 

[PD-Riverman]

Ok, my question is kind of related to this topic. But what does the broody chicken do after her first chick hatches?

Hey, who are you asking this question too??

My broodies stay on the nest and hatch the rest of the chicks after the first one hatches----usually within 24 hours+/- because all the eggs were set at the same time. A chick can sit tight for atleast 3 days without a problem (no food or water) while the rest are hatching.

If a person just allows a hen to set on any eggs----lets other hens lay more eggs in her nest----They are creating a Problem----if they got a heart at all. Meaning----when moma hen comes off the eggs with her first few hatched chicks-----the other eggs have chicks in them at different stages----are you going to just let them die----Most scramble trying to put them under another broody or run get a incubator etc-----all could have been avoided----with a few simple steps---in the beginning.

 

[PD-Riverman]

I feel good too about the amount of space I have for them all, an acre of fenced in pasture and their coop is 12x12 It sounds like space can be an issue, so that's good that I don't have that going against me.

How high can chicks jump to get to the roost? That might be an issue? Ours are a foot up, I believe? Need to check, but just wondering what the babies do at night

Also, those of you that have the babies with everyone else, do you give your mamas/babies the chick starter? And how do you keep the others from eating it?

I use to allow my broody/w-chicks to stay with the rest of the flock----Usually the mother hen will stay on the floor/dirt till the babies get big enough to fly up on the roost. To keep the chicks feed sepatated---I made a wire circle out of 2"x4" welded wire----and put their feed in the middle of this----use what you got---they just need a space to go through to get to their food that the grown chickens can not get through.

 

[MesMama]

Keep in mind I am in SC. Semi-mild winters and not many broodies during the coldest times of the year-----so this is the way it stays most all the time. If I have a broody in the dead of winter---it takes a couple minutes to staple cut open feed sacks on part of it. This pen is movable and I move it where I need it----to protect them from winds etc. If I decide to move it and its got hens with chicks----I wait till they are in the boxes after dark and slide it where I need it. If I was going to move it a long way----again I would wait till they all were in the boxes---then I have a "door" to close them up in box-----because if I am going to move it a good distance----I pick it up with the front end loader on the tractor and carry it to the new location.

It has 1/2 hardware cloth on the sides, 2"x4"wire on the bottom, which makes it pretty safe from most preditors---including snakes as long as there is no opening around the bottom----which I would not allow because of chicks getting out or snakes just crawling right in. These hatching pens and most All my pens are inside a 6ft tall fenced in section(little over a acre) so for a bigger preditor---it first has to get through that fence to get to the other fences----then ALL my regular chicken pens are made using chain-link dog kennel panels---plus now the fenced in section is patrolled by a young Great Pyreneese that is getting bigger(50lb right now) every day.

The hen hatches and roost after the chicks hatch in one of the 4 boxes. When the chicks get a few weeks old I move her and the chicks to another, bigger--still private-- pen----or sooner if I need to free up a hatching pen.

This pen does have a roost/perch in the open section----if you will look hard you can see it or see where the silver washer is on the sides----a screw goes through the washers and screws into the roost/perch. These pens do have a door in each(towards the middle---yellow plastic doors) that I can open and allow one hen/chicks say to use 1 or 2 or 3 or all 4 sections---if none of the others are being used.

The other pens I use to move the chicks too are cheap to build, easy to move, etc. If there is a interest I will post a picture of one of them.

Awesome info! Thank you I would love to see the other pens when you have time

 

[MesMama]

I use to allow my broody/w-chicks to stay with the rest of the flock----Usually the mother hen will stay on the floor/dirt till the babies get big enough to fly up on the roost. To keep the chicks feed sepatated---I made a wire circle out of 2"x4" welded wire----and put their feed in the middle of this----use what you got---they just need a space to go through to get to their food that the grown chickens can not get through.

That sounds perfect Thank you!!

 

[TXchickenchick]

I use to allow my broody/w-chicks to stay with the rest of the flock----Usually the mother hen will stay on the floor/dirt till the babies get big enough to fly up on the roost. To keep the chicks feed sepatated---I made a wire circle out of 2"x4" welded wire----and put their feed in the middle of this----use what you got---they just need a space to go through to get to their food that the grown chickens can not get through.

Oh my! Keeping everyone else out of the baby food is one issue I never figured out. I just gave up! Lol This is simply BRILLIANT!