Broody Hen Thread!

[gpeters3]

At the siggestion of a forum member, i added these tunnels to my brood pen and they work very well. Inside they are 6w x 7h x 12l and the hens wont try to go through.

 

[Dani4Hedgies]

Microchick if the roosters are good with them see if you can put the roosters in with them. When I got my older chicks from Danz and got Wonky ( my only rooster) he protected his new "sisters" from the other hens and even today when they are quite a bit bigger if one of my older hens go to peck ire chase a younger chick he jumps into it and breaks it up protecting the younger chick everytime. Not sure if this would work with your roosters but could be worth a shot?

 

[microchick]

I've tried that FarmerMac. I have a two story coop right now. The established flock occupies the upper floor, the lower floor I used as a nursery/broody coop. It has it's own little run inside the main run that allows a broody hen and her chicks to go outside when they are ready. Aggie went broody on me in February, not exactly spring time in Missouri, so we had to provide extra heating for momma and babies when they hatched as the temp was still dipping in the 20s at night and Aggie was sitting under the light with the chicks under her until they were about 3 weeks old. She stayed with them till they were 4 weeks and then she started laying. End of broodiness.

So the juveniles have been in full view of the main flock since they were 6 days old. I started finding that they had flown over the 4 foot chicken wire that I am using for their run last week and figured it was time to start merging the young with the old. Everyone, including the young cockerels are feathered out now and the Buff O/Welsummer cross pullets are about half the size of the adult Welsummer hens.

I took the fence down and placed the cattle panel section in front of the door so the youngsters had someplace to escape to and it seemed to work ok till I discovered the injured pullet and noticed that the juvies were afraid to come out of the coop.

I'm thinking now that either I missed something or I just need to wait till they are about 12 weeks and try again when they have some size on them and can peck back if they have to. I just don't want to see any more injuries and I'm kindasorta wondering if the Welsummer hens are just more aggressive then the Buff O hens.

Dani4Hedgies, that is a great idea. From the start we have noticed one of the junior roosters hanging around the babies more than the hens and when they were just a week old one of them got out of their pen and immediately ran up to his father and Daddy offered a piece of corn that he tidbitted for it. It was so cute to see this little chick looking up at this big rooster as if it was saying 'Are you my Daddy? and daddy standing there patiently bent over, picking up and dropping this piece of cracked corn for the chick to see.

I think we underestimate our roosters some times.

 

[Dani4Hedgies]

Microchick,
I would agree with your thoughts cause my Welsummer are the ones who still go after the older chicks whenever they are all together in the pen.

 

[microchick]

Microchick,
I would agree with your thoughts cause my Welsummer are the ones who still go after the older chicks whenever they are all together in the pen.

Yesterday I was out feeding and watering, trying to beat out an incoming storm and witnessed one of the Welsummer hens charge the fence separating the flocks. The juveniles scattered and ran for the coop.

If they weren't laying such danged beautiful huge eggs I'd consider selling them in an instant.

 

[RachaelR32]

I think I gave my hen too many eggs this morning. I googled and found people saying a brahma could cover 18 eggs. I gave her 13LF and 4 bantam eggs. She's not covering them all well. If I take some off hee now will I have to bin them or would the be ok to give to my other girl tomorrow? The second one is sat ok today. I've shut off her tractor after the 3rd girl laid so she is not being bothered by the others. I wouldn't want ti give her eggs jyst yet as I'm not sure about her. Or should I just give her some of the first girls eggs now as if she can't cover them its not like I have anything to loose?

 

[Halloweengirl13]

I think I gave my hen too many eggs this morning. I googled and found people saying a brahma could cover 18 eggs. I gave her 13LF and 4 bantam eggs. She's not covering them all well. If I take some off hee now will I have to bin them or would the be ok to give to my other girl tomorrow? The second one is sat ok today. I've shut off her tractor after the 3rd girl laid so she is not being bothered by the others. I wouldn't want ti give her eggs jyst yet as I'm not sure about her. Or should I just give her some of the first girls eggs now as if she can't cover them its not like I have anything to loose?

If you can mess around with her add extra hay around her, I do this with my Japanese bantam hen who insists on sitting on a crap ton of eggs, I make the extra hay into a bowl around her to help her keep all the eggs warm. It has worked so far...

 

[nchls school]

If you can mess around with her add extra hay around her, I do this with my Japanese bantam hen who insists on sitting on a crap ton of eggs, I make the extra hay into a bowl around her to help her keep all the eggs warm. It has worked so far...

X 2. I do this with smaller clutches; actually all the clutches. There seems to be less DIS. To me, it just makes sense, a bowl shaped nest helps the broody to keep the eggs in position-under her.

 

[PD-Riverman]

I think I gave my hen too many eggs this morning. I googled and found people saying a brahma could cover 18 eggs. I gave her 13LF and 4 bantam eggs. She's not covering them all well. If I take some off hee now will I have to bin them or would the be ok to give to my other girl tomorrow? The second one is sat ok today. I've shut off her tractor after the 3rd girl laid so she is not being bothered by the others. I wouldn't want ti give her eggs jyst yet as I'm not sure about her. Or should I just give her some of the first girls eggs now as if she can't cover them its not like I have anything to loose?

If you just put the eggs under your hen this morning----just remove what you feel is to much and put the eggs with the rest of your collected eggs for the day--they are not developing yet. As far as giving your others hens eggs----You lost me on that----Always give your broody hens fresh layed eggs all at the same time----not some today and some tomorrow, etc.

 

[PD-Riverman]

my Japanese bantam hen who insists on sitting on a crap ton of eggs

LOL, your chicken has you wrapped around their "wing". All my Broodies set on the amount of eggs "I" choose----not the amount they choose----LOL.