Broody Hen Thread!

[TheRoostergirl]

I've got an isa brown broody a factory bred one too and she is looking after my 2 spitzhauben chicks

 

[chicken farmer]

I've got an isa brown broody a factory bred one too and she is looking after my 2 spitzhauben chicks

Thats awesome is she outside ?

 

[chickenkeeper12]

I'm just gonna get 1 or 2 tarps then it will be on top hanging over each side and probably go down about half the pen

That will work as long as the snow is going into the direction of where the tarps are. I learned it the hard way by only putting tapes on half the coop the first time it snowed and it changed direction half way through the storm and I had to dig out 8 inches of snow in a 16x8 pen. It's not fun. If I were you I would cover up the whole thing just to be safe, plus it also keeps it kinda warmer because it blocks the wind, ran, snow.

 

[chicken farmer]

That will work as long as the snow is going into the direction of where the tarps are. I learned it the hard way by only putting tapes on half the coop the first time it snowed and it changed direction half way through the storm and I had to dig out 8 inches of snow in a 16x8 pen. It's not fun. If I were you I would cover up the whole thing just to be safe, plus it also keeps it kinda warmer because it blocks the wind, ran, snow.

That's true it would act like a wind block and it would kinda be like a green house then and it could help keep warmer if I would hang the heat lamp off the ground and put it about a foot away from the door and it might heat that area up in the pen a little plus they all could get under the heat lamp and i wouldnt have to worry about fire

 

[fisherlady]

Anybody. How do you feed chicks when the py are with the momma in the coop with the other chickens. Do you put the feeders and waterers on the ground or do you give them a Seperate redder and waterer on the ground. Idk how I should incorporate there feed into the coop?

The babies really shouldn't have the laying hen's food if it has added calcium. Chicks don't process it well when they are little. There are a few options for feeding mixed flocks....

A) switch everyone over to chick starter and just make sure at least one feeder is low enough for the babies.... the reason to switching the feed in ALL feeders is because mama hen will often knock food out of a feeder that the chicks can't reach, and then they eat it off of the floor. If you do this then make arrangements to offer crushed oyster shells as 'free choice' for the laying hens.

B) keep the mama and little ones separate somehow and provide them their own food and water

C)Make a 'creeper' feeder by creating a box or other obstruction around the babies feeder with openings which only the babies can fit through to reach the food. This has limited success because you have to then raise the other hen's feed way up and/or move it to an area that the babies wouldn't normally be able to reach... but the babies can reach a lot of places once they are a week or so old and Murphy's Law says they will prefer to eat from the feeder you don't want them to!! However, a creeper is great for giving the little ones a safe place to eat where they won't be bothered by other flock adults. I would still switch the rest of the flock to a non-calcium feed, and just provide chick starter in the creeper for the babies... but remember that the mama hen may benefit from the higher protein in the chick food also (recovery from brooding stresses) though you can still supplement mama with high protein treats.

The chicks should be good with sharing water with the other birds pretty quick, just make sure at least one watered is low enough to accommodate them, or provide a brick or wood block to make a step stool for them to drink from. I actually like providing them a step up to a higher water supply because any watered that you put at ground level in a coop seems to get filthy pretty quick.

 

[new breeder]

i have myfirst time with incubator, i really hope next year t have my first and more hen

 

[chickenkeeper12]

The babies really shouldn't have the laying hen's food if it has added calcium.  Chicks don't process it well when they are little.  There are a few options for feeding mixed flocks....

A) switch everyone over to chick starter and just make sure at least one feeder is low enough for the babies.... the reason to switching the feed in ALL feeders is because mama hen will often knock food out of a feeder that the chicks can't reach, and then they eat it off of the floor.   If you do this then make arrangements to offer crushed oyster shells as 'free choice' for the laying hens.

B) keep the mama and little ones separate somehow and provide them their own food and water

C)Make a 'creeper' feeder by creating a box or other obstruction around the babies feeder with openings which only the babies can fit through to reach the food.  This has limited success because you have to then raise the other hen's feed way up and/or move it to an area that the babies wouldn't normally be able to reach... but the babies can reach a lot of places once they are a week or so old and Murphy's Law says they will prefer to eat from the feeder you don't want them to!!   However, a creeper is great for giving the little ones a safe place to eat where they won't be bothered by other flock adults.  I would still switch the rest of the flock to a non-calcium feed, and just provide chick starter in the creeper for the babies... but remember that the mama hen may benefit from the higher protein in the chick food also (recovery from brooding stresses) though you can still supplement mama with high protein treats.

The chicks should be good with sharing water with the other birds pretty quick, just make sure at least one watered is low enough to accommodate them, or
provide a brick or wood block to make a step stool for them to drink from.  I actually like providing them a step up to a higher water supply because any watered that you put at ground level in a coop seems to get filthy pretty quick.

Thanks for the information. I'm probably going to switch my feed over to chick starter.

 

[korlia]

Hi !! Very new to this. Hope you can help. I have a cochin bantam that has been sitting in the nesting box from Saturday? She however went out to free range with the others on Sunday when I opened them up? She was out for a bit yesterday also. She doesnt puff up or make any noise when I touch her? I put an egg in front of her and she rolled it in under her. I am confused........ Is she broody or not? Don't want to go through all the trouble of getting fertilized eggs of she is not?

 

[Hannahs Hollow]

Sounds broody to me.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Hi !! Very new to this. Hope you can help. I have a cochin bantam that has been sitting in the nesting box from Saturday? She however went out to free range with the others on Sunday when I opened them up? She was out for a bit yesterday also. She doesnt puff up or make any noise when I touch her? I put an egg in front of her and she rolled it in under her. I am confused........ Is she broody or not? Don't want to go through all the trouble of getting fertilized eggs of she is not?

She definitely sounds like she is contemplating being broody but hasn't settled down quite yet. Watch her for a couple more days and make sure she has a box that is safe from others, warm, reasonably dark and leave her with about 4 or 5 eggs. That will likely trigger a full brood and you can then know if it is safe to order the eggs providing the seller can get them to you fairly quick (within a week) especially if this is her first brood...you want her to have chick sounds in a couple of weeks to help her stay the course.

Lady of McCamley