Broody Hen Thread!

[nchls school]

Here is a question for the thread.  It has been asked 1000 times.  It will now be asked 1001 times.  How old should chicks be before you open the door to their dog cage and let momma and babies roam with the flock?

Broody Brahma #2 hatched 7 beautiful, strong, healthy Ameraucana chicks on Sunday.  She is in a dog cage that is large enough to hold a labrador retriever.   The dog cage is in the coop with the rest of the hens.   This is day 3 and she is still content in the cage, but now nconstantly has the water full of wood shavings from trying to dust bath.  No biggie, but just wondering when most would open the door and let her take chicks out  I also worry about the reasonably steep ramp that leads to the great outdoors if she choses to take her chicks outside outside.

I know everyone has different opinions, but I would like to hear them.

I keep hens and new chicks separate only long enough to ensure all are healthy, eating and drinking and then they rejoin the flock; three days at most. Often only one day.

 

[16 paws]

It depends on your flock and your set-up.
I have about 50 chickens and have many different sizes and breeds of hens and roosters all together.

For me and my space I dont let them loose with the flock until they are a few weeks old.
Several reasons:

I have several different runs connected to my main coop. On one side there is chain link and I know they can squeeze thru that. I have had chicks just disappear and were never found again.
I figured they would just stay with mama but apparently they got separated.

I hatch bantam Cochins and little tiny Seramas. Those little bugers can squeeze thru anything!
My biggest hen is a Jersey Giant and she is the size of a Turkey! If she accidentially stepped on them they would be gone.

I only let my bantams hatch eggs so the mama is much smaller than some of the flock and may not be able to stand up to a fiesty, mean standard hen.

I let my flock out in the afernoon to free range and I dont want a hawk to come by and have lunch

One big reason for me to keep them separate is the food issue. I have all of my flock on chick start and grow but no matter how much food the big hens have they just have to go eat all the food from the babies feeder. Even if there is multiple feeders out. I dont like having to repenish it several times a day

In my opinion too many things can happen, I like to keep them in a bottomless cage within the coop with mama. I have one that is about 2 feet by 8 feet. That way they can see the flock but no touching. The food stays there all day, mama is not constantly having to defend them from curious pecks and most of all I dont have to worry about them as much

Hope that helps in some way. I know plenty of people do it different but this is what works for us.
Marie

 

[Selsley]

Here is a question for the thread. It has been asked 1000 times. It will now be asked 1001 times. How old should chicks be before you open the door to their dog cage and let momma and babies roam with the flock?

Broody Brahma #2 hatched 7 beautiful, strong, healthy Ameraucana chicks on Sunday. She is in a dog cage that is large enough to hold a labrador retriever. The dog cage is in the coop with the rest of the hens. This is day 3 and she is still content in the cage, but now nconstantly has the water full of wood shavings from trying to dust bath. No biggie, but just wondering when most would open the door and let her take chicks out I also worry about the reasonably steep ramp that leads to the great outdoors if she choses to take her chicks outside outside.

I know everyone has different opinions, but I would like to hear them.

well i made a post few before this one, about ours going outside at 1 week old, they went out when the mum thought it was ok. 1st day i saw them twice.
next day they were in and out all day, but today mostly out close to mum lying in the sun and chasing flies, their wings have developed enough for them to fly short distances at low height.
they seem to bounce a bit if they fall from waist height and they do flap on the way down, so they maybe ok with the ramp
as for mixing with flock, our broodys hatchery was on the floor under 3 nest boxes, which was fully enclosed on 3 sides, and half the front enclosed with the other half as access under a ramp
the chicks stayed in the nest 1st 2 days after learning to feed on day three they learnt to dig up the coop flloor for the next 3 days, before that the other hens took no notice, they went straight up the ramp to lay, they didnt come to check out all the fuss till they were running about chasing flies, peeping loudly and digging, 2 came in and looked at them, also dug about a bit then either went outside or up to lay, i guess they already knew they were there but hadnt seen them, few days later they were meeting the cock outside, i think they got taught about warning signals,as he called out and they scurried inside following mum

we let the chicken teach us how to do it

 

[microchick]

My Aggie is 6 weeks post hatching and is still doing the broody 'tuk tuk tuk' sound. She is back with the flock and laying. She did this the last time she went broody but got back to normal or what passes for normal for her a lot faster.

Is this normal or is she reconsidering returning to her old broody self?

 

[16 paws]

Hi Microchick,
Its hard to say, I don't recall my hens making that sound after weaning their chicks. Maybe she is going to be a perpetual broodie.

 

[fisherlady]

My Aggie is 6 weeks post hatching and is still doing the broody  'tuk tuk tuk' sound. She is back with the flock and laying. She did this the last time she went broody but got back to normal or what passes for normal for her a lot faster.

Is this normal or is she reconsidering returning to her old broody self?

I have a couple of hens who talk like that a lot, neither has never been broody...

And I have a couple of hens who I know will be parked in a box on the second day after I hear them start 'took-tooking'....go figure

There is no exact way to tell, but after she has been broody a couple of times you will have an easier time figuring out her particular habits.

 

[microchick]

Thanks 16 paws and fisherlady. I'm kind of thinking that she is a little Buff O who isn't really happy unless she is sitting on a pile of eggs. Her key behavior that I've noticed right before she goes broody is that she gobbles calcium like it's popcorn. Within a week after that she is on the nest.

Another question.

Will a hen brood if she is in molt?

 

[fisherlady]

Thanks 16 paws and fisherlady. I'm kind of thinking that she is a little Buff O who isn't really happy unless she is sitting on a pile of eggs. Her key behavior that I've noticed right before she goes broody is that she gobbles calcium like it's popcorn. Within a week after that she is on the nest.

Another question.

Will a hen brood if she is in molt? 

Yep, I have had a couple do it, and always felt sorry for the chicks having a porcupine for a mama!

 

[microchick]

Yep, I have had a couple do it, and always felt sorry for the chicks having a porcupine for a mama!

I have a hen right now that I am treating for a severe bumblefoot infection. While catching her I did a double take at one of the other Welsummer hens and yep, saw that she really was bald. All the feathers on her head and face are gone. Don't know if the flock master got over zealous or what happened but the poor thing really looks ridiculous. Checked her for lice or mites, She is clean....just bald.

Can you call a hen Kojack?

 

[fisherlady]

I have a hen right now that I am treating for a severe bumblefoot infection. While catching her I did a double take at one of the other Welsummer hens and yep, saw that she really was bald. All the feathers on her head and face are gone. Don't know if the flock master got over zealous or what happened but the poor thing really looks ridiculous. Checked her for lice or mites, She is clean....just bald.

Can you call a hen Kojack?

Our chronic bad molter is ilea. Named after the female character in the Star Trek movie who was possessed by an alien and had her head shaved. I think Persis Khembatta (sp?) Was the actress.
Ilea spend much of her time bald, so the name stuck.

Edited to correct actress name