Broody Hen Thread!

[fisherlady]

We use the powder, it doesn't take much and we haven't had any noticeable trouble with it. We only put it on the hen and let the chicks get it from crawling through her feathers. Use the spray to treat their nest area while they are out for a thorough cleaning. It will be dry by the time they are back.
If you can move the hen and chicks to a garage area for a few hours you can use the spray on them to avoid the respiratory concerns.

 

[aart]

We use the powder, it doesn't take much and we haven't had any noticeable trouble with it. We only put it on the hen and let the chicks get it from crawling through her feathers. Use the spray to treat their nest area while they are out for a thorough cleaning. It will be dry by the time they are back.
If you can move the hen and chicks to a garage area for a few hours you can use the spray on them to avoid the respiratory concerns.

Thanks!
How and where do you apply dust to hen?

 

[fisherlady]

I use a knee high nylon, put in about a cup of powder and then use it like a powder puff on the hen, apply liberally to area between tail base and vent, then some under each wing at 'armpit', and a bit from base of neck back to almost the oil gland. Lift up top feathers so the powder is in the downy feathers and skin. It doesn't take a large amount at all, and check the hen the next day and retreat if anything is found. You may need to change out the bedding a couple of times to make sure nothing gets away from the treatment.

 

[aart]

I use a knee high nylon, put in about a cup of powder and then use it like a powder puff on the hen, apply liberally to area between tail base and vent, then some under each wing at 'armpit', and a bit from base of neck back to almost the oil gland. Lift up top feathers so the powder is in the downy feathers and skin. It doesn't take a large amount at all, and check the hen the next day and retreat if anything is found. You may need to change out the bedding a couple of times to make sure nothing gets away from the treatment.

No stockings around here, might just distribute with my fingers or use my 'pest pistol'.
ETA: am going to go buy some stockings.
Got a juggling process worked out and set up, warm place for chicks while she gets dusted, crate for her while I clean nest, will dust under and over new bedding(straw) then all back in....she is not going to be happy Should be interesting!
Thanks so much for your advice and support, hard to think this stuff thru on one's own.

 

[fisherlady]

No stockings around here, might just distribute with my fingers or use my 'pest pistol'.
ETA: am going to go buy some stockings.
Got a juggling process worked out and set up, warm place for chicks while she gets dusted, crate for her while I clean nest, will dust under and over new bedding(straw) then all back in....she is not going to be happy Should be interesting!
Thanks so much for your advice and support, hard to think this stuff thru on one's own.

If you have access to hay it may help with the bug control. My understanding is that because straw is hollow it allows somewhere for the bugs to hide. Hay is a solid shaft grass, so no hiding spots.
We have even used a mix of dried leaves and pine needles we raked in the fall (more needles than leaves) and the hens seem to like that ok also.

 

[aart]

If you have access to hay it may help with the bug control. My understanding is that because straw is hollow it allows somewhere for the bugs to hide. Hay is a solid shaft grass, so no hiding spots.
We have even used a mix of dried leaves and pine needles we raked in the fall (more needles than leaves) and the hens seem to like that ok also.

No hay at this time...can see mites(the kind that live off birds) harboring in straw, but not lice so much.

I sprinkled permethrin dust under and over straw bedding in her nest, shaking it to sift down. Got some knee highs, but they were 'trouser socks' and dust didn't sift out too well, so used fingers, was easy to hold her and get the stuff under the feathers that way.
Process worked well and she was pretty cool about the whole thing. Will reapply in a week, when I first saw louse on chick I grabbed her looked around her vent, didn't see any bugs or eggs. Hard to get under those feathers and look without a helping hand tho.
Damnpeskypests!

 

[Me Myself and My Girls]

I'm sure these questions have been asked, but the thread is so long!!

I live in Ontario, where the weather is still -11 C at night
My hen is in the coop (with 30 hens) in a dog crate.
My hen has hatched 6 eggs, started Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Today is Monday, one was hatched this morning but was still wet and had died. She must of pulled it from under her.

1. How long should I leave the remaining eggs under her?

also in a separate coop I have another broody hen (with 5 hens, 1 rooster) ready to hatch Wednesday

2. is it better to have hen in dog crate or just in nesting box?
3. should I move both hens together to smaller coop to raise their babies?

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Never give up. Even with the cold nest accident on Friday, my broody has hatched 3 of 11 thus far. I will check again tomorrow.

1 died from naval infection (squishy chick syndrome) which the hen had pulled away from the nest, but 2 healthy chicks were peeping under her alive and well.

I'm not expecting a high hatch rate due to a locked out hen mistake with really cold eggs left for possibly half a day....but hey, she has at least a couple of babes for her efforts.

More details tomorrow.

 

[fisherlady]

Never give up. Even with the cold nest accident on Friday, my broody has hatched 3 of 11 thus far. I will check again tomorrow.

1 died from naval infection (squishy chick syndrome) which the hen had pulled away from the nest, but 2 healthy chicks were peeping under her alive and well.

I'm not expecting a high hatch rate due to a locked out hen mistake with really cold eggs left for possibly half a day....but hey, she has at least a couple of babes for her efforts.

More details tomorrow.

This is great news! Sorry she lost the 3rd one but considering the odds I think she is still doing good!

 

[fisherlady]

I'm sure these questions have been asked, but the thread is so long!!

I live in Ontario, where the weather is still -11 C at night
My hen is in the coop (with 30 hens) in a dog crate.
My hen has hatched 6 eggs, started Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Today is Monday, one was hatched this morning but was still wet and had died. She must of pulled it from under her.

1. How long should I leave the remaining eggs under her?

also in a separate coop I have another broody hen (with 5 hens, 1 rooster) ready to hatch Wednesday

2. is it better to have hen in dog crate or just in nesting box?
3. should I move both hens together to smaller coop to raise their babies?

Depends on the size of the crate, a larger crate (2×3ft or bigger) I would leave the hen in the dog crate for a couple of days till the chicks are more mobile, but make sure water and food are available. Also you will need to add mesh cloth or some type of cardboard around the bottom to about 6 inches high to prevent chicks from getting out and being lost. It seems they are always able to find a way out but never a way back in...
If your flock isn't used to chicks you may want to move the broodies to a more controlled area for safety, unless your broodies are high in the pecking order and experienced broodies. After a week or 2 you can work on reintegrating them through controlled exposure.
If you do move the broodies to a common area you will need to provide a barrier between them for at least a few days, preferably one they can see and hear through so they begin getting used to each other. Broodies will sometimes cooperate, but it takes time to get to that point, if ever, especially if they weren't coop mates to begin with.