Broody hen with flock or move her?

[vent]

i have a broody light sussex hen called donald ,today a have placed 6 fertile eggs under her and she has excepted them. Athough i am worried that once the chicks hatch my other hen pippa (light sussex) will maybe attack them. i don't know whether to move donald into are free big rabbit hutch or leave her in the main coop. I know if i do to do it at night and everything. but shall i reduce the stress of moving and just trust pippa (the other hen) not to hurt the chicks when they hatch? also pippa is not the friendly of chickens although donald is above pippa in the pecking order



thankyou for any comments, they are much appreciated

 

[Den in Penn]

I would leave her in the coop with the other chicken. Broodies are very protective of the chicks. Broodies have been raising the chicks with the flock since forever.

 

[Mrs. K]

I am an advocate of leaving them with the flock. If you remove a broody hen, she loses her pecking order, and when you reintroduce her, she has that fight.

Where as if you leave her, she generally rises in pecking order, and EVERYONE gives her space. When the chicks are hatched, she will naturally place herself between the chicks and the other hens. She will defend them vigorously if a chick strays too close to a layer and gets pecked. The chick learns quickly to stay on the 'right side of mama.' And by the time she leaves them, they have been accepted by the flock.

The tricky part can be day 20. Sometimes it can take several hours for all the chicks that are going to hatch to hatch. And sometimes those early chicks, will get adventurous and go explore the world while the broody hen is still tied to the nest so to speak, and the layers can get them, and they won't be nice. Once the clutch has hatched it, there is no problem, as the broody hen will take care of it.

So what I do, is very early on the 20th day, I lock the layers out of the coop. I put some kind of nest outside in the run for their needs, and my runs have a roost, so they just stay outside. Often times, eggs under a broody hen can start hatching on day 20. 12 hours later, I let the layers in again.

Now my broody hen has always picked a nest to brood in. I leave her there even though it is a couple of feet off the ground. Once the chicks hatch, she has always moved to the floor, and created a nest on the floor of the coop for a couple of weeks. When they are a couple of weeks old, she has moved them up on a board to roost. By having a board at roost height, I think she stays interested in them longer, as she is not fighting the urge to roost.

I am praying for one, I generally get one about now!

MrsK

 

[donrae]

I also keep them with the flock if at all possible.

Do you only have one other hen? If so, there won't be any problem. Momma will kick butt if anyone messes with her bebes. Just be sure there's plenty of space for the hens to stay away from each other and you'll be good to go.

 

[Mrs. K]

^^ What Donrae said, space is VERY important.

 

[centrarchid]

Provide an additional ground level cover spot (box on its side) for hen to retreat to for night. I like my hens to forage with chicks where the latter are not underfoot of adults during the first week or so. There is an immunity issue related to parasites that is benefitted by time. If more than one hen with chicks, make it a priority to keep them apart as even low intensity altercations can be hard on chicks. Also be considerate of differing water supply depths.

 

[vent]

thanks very much, really helpful will follow advice- other hen has started helping her now and again while she is feeding to

 

[vent]

and i hope you get a broody MrsK!

 

[Mrs. K]

me too, but nothing yet.... I think it is because it has been too cool and cloudy.

 

[centrarchid]

me too, but nothing yet.... I think it is because it has been too cool and cloudy.

Or hens too heavy. First cohort of broodies for me each year have larger clutches than 2nd and 3rd cohorts to come later. This holds especially when younger hens involved. I think I have been reducing clutch size and time from first egg deposited and setting of clutch by reducing the ration of confined hens. When clutch size hits 8 I halve ration which increases odds production will stop before clutch sizes reaches 14. More eggs than 14 usually does not mean more hatched or more to survive per brood.