Broody Hen Thread!

[16 paws]

Thank you so much everyone for your help ! I will leave the babies with momma and the predator came at nightime. There are large boards over the top of the enclosure. It looked like it got under the chicken wire and somehow got them.. I suppose I could tie the bottom on the chicken wire to the chain link and hopefully that'll help.

Chicken wire is made to keep chickens in not predators out. I would be very careful about relying on just that. Can you re-inforce with hardware cloth?

 

[lydiagirl99]

Chicken wire is made to keep chickens in not predators out. I would be very careful about relying on just that. Can you re-inforce with hardware cloth?

I can try ! I will hopefully be able to convince my parents to buy it. Anything to help momma and babies be safe.

 

[PD-Riverman]

It looked like it got under the chicken wire and somehow got them.. I suppose I could tie the bottom on the chicken wire to the chain link and hopefully that'll help.

If you really want to protect your chickens, do not even think about using chicken wire to keep a predator out. Using chicken wire would be compared to using 20lb test fishing line to tie out a 100lb bull dog----want even slow him down.

 

[microchick]

I'm a subscriber to hot wire. My entire run is hotwired with a single strand that we have mounted at varying heights. Our dogs tested the waters.....once. After that one of them wouldn't even go near the front of the barn. If it wanted to get around the barn it went way behind it. I'm sure they thought that those chickens have some sort of super powers.

My new coop is sitting on a concrete slab. The building is being sided with corrugated tin. I'm planning to make my rooster pen run out of chicken wire that will be hot wired. I know I'm taking a chance but at this point in time I'm out of kennel panels. I wouldn't think of using this stuff on my main run. But I figure that with the hot wire back up and a secure coop at night things should hopefully be ok. Our chickens do not free range. Too many airborne predators. They are locked up at night and when we leave one of our dogs is left out in charge. They might be afraid of chickens, but raccoons won't get off the place alive.

 

[lydiagirl99]

If you really want to protect your chickens, do not even think about using chicken wire to keep a predator out. Using chicken wire would be compared to using 20lb test fishing line to tie out a 100lb bull dog----want even slow him down.

Awe... I didn't know I'm only 17 years old and have to deal with my parents if I need supplies and all they'd get was chicken wire.. I'm going to tell them what you guys have said and hopefully we'll get something else !

 

[the poppster]

Awe... I didn't know I'm only 17 years old and have to deal with my parents if I need supplies and all they'd get was chicken wire.. I'm going to tell them what you guys have said and hopefully we'll get something else !

So nice to know that young people are involved with enjoying raising and keeping chickens...I know they are out there...but most of us on this sight don't really say much about actual age...there are hints here and there...but ya know? So it makes me happy to hear from the younger generation of poultry people...Silverman is absolutely right about chicken wire not really meant to keep predators out...if they are determined to get to your birds...most larger predators won't be stopped...or weasels they can slip right through the 1 inch holes. I found out the hard way, and lost 8 chicks to a Momma weasel last year...she couldn't get any of them through the the wire...but she killed all of them except for the hen. If you can't cover the whole run with hardware cloth...it might help to cover the lower couple of feet at least. The predator may give up after checking all around, and not finding a large enough hole or weak spot...I know that they can and will climb...but if that's what you can do. It's better than nothing...and night light in the area tends to discourage night visitors. I keep a dim red light...on inside my coop and a radio playing on the NPR station...24/7...I am owned by a neurotic Border Collie....so I have dog scent all around the yard, I figure it might help. My coop opens into my garage...I installed a screen door to provide some great ventilation during the summer months...and just outside the screen door I just hung a Bug Zapper! We had a really bad mosquito problem and they were making me crazy...it's So satisfying to hear that thing go off! It might give predators something else to think about...oh no! Off on a tangent! Sorry...what I was trying to get to, is keep changing up on the predators...they don't like surprises...if you get into a Regular Schedule...they will adapt to it and show up when you are not around. The radio playing seems to calm the birds (classical music, they don't seem to like the other stuff) might keep the predators guessing....is that a real human or not? Use your imagination...if your run is covered like mine is, I put lots of perches for the birds to escape to if possible. I could go on and on...but I won't...nothing works as well as a good secure shelter....but...

 

[the poppster]

Sorry about that PD Riverman! Spell check strikes again!

 

[LadyCluck77]

Hi Everyone!
I have a weird situation involving three different Broodies, and was wondering what to do.
I had a broody silkie most of the winter who tried and tried, never hatched anything.
In May two younger hens went broody, right after I finally got the silkie out of the habit.
The white Faverolles mix hatched one chick, and then abandoned the rest of the eggs she was on. She has been a good mother to her chick. So that worked out, then a few days later the blue Americauna hatched a chick, and also got off her remaining three eggs. They were cold, but I noticed the silkie looked broody again, so I put the remaining egggs under her, thinking the americauna had switched to chick care, she was not very attentive and we had some cold rainy weather. I came home from work to find it freezing and almost dead. I brought it in the house and put it under the Ecoglow, and gave it some Sav a chick.
Then I went out to the coop today, and the silkie has two new chicks now!
My question is, should I take the abandoned chick, who is much better now, and give it back to its original mother, or should I give it to the silkie? The americauna also looks broody again, and the silkie has two already. Can a broody handle three?

 

[16 paws]

Hi Everyone!
I have a weird situation involving three different Broodies, and was wondering what to do.
I had a broody silkie most of the winter who tried and tried, never hatched anything.
In May two younger hens went broody, right after I finally got the silkie out of the habit.
The white Faverolles mix hatched one chick, and then abandoned the rest of the eggs she was on. She has been a good mother to her chick. So that worked out, then a few days later the blue Americauna hatched a chick, and also got off her remaining three eggs. They were cold, but I noticed the silkie looked broody again, so I put the remaining egggs under her, thinking the americauna had switched to chick care, she was not very attentive and we had some cold rainy weather. I came home from work to find it freezing and almost dead. I brought it in the house and put it under the Ecoglow, and gave it some Sav a chick.
Then I went out to the coop today, and the silkie has two new chicks now!
My question is, should I take the abandoned chick, who is much better now, and give it back to its original mother, or should I give it to the silkie? The americauna also looks broody again, and the silkie has two already. Can a broody handle three?

I would give it to the silkie if she is being a good mom.

 

[LadyCluck77]

I would give it to the silkie if she is being a good mom.

Thank you! That is what I will do. Will update soon on how it goes!