Broody pen/setup?

[standardbanty]

I have a broody welsumer. I am afraid of her pooping in her nest too much. Although I dont see any poop I afraid I will later. Is she getting out of her nest , getting a snack and a drink of water and reliving her self or is she starving her self(do you see your broody get off her nest?). What is a good size broody pen/setup.


Thanks

 

[Judy]

Usually they get up once a day; mine gets up every morning when I open the coop. But they have been known to starve themselves, yes. Mine is in a large wire dog crate, maybe 2' X 3'. There is a nest box in there, plus food and water, and a little room for her to stand. She does her pooping, eating and drinking when I let her out in the morning. She won't get off the nest in the evening, but she will eat a little out of my hand while on the nest.

 

[ams3651]

Ive only gone thru it once but she did get up a couple times a day to grab a few bites and a drink and when she pooped boy would you know it, its huge. I sprinkled a few sunflower seeds or grapes in her bowl to encourage her to get up. My box was in the coop, although my coop is kind of large, the broody box is 2' wide by 5' long. I thought it large but ended up being good size while she was locked in with them for the first month. She had a cardboard box as a nest, when the babies hatched I cut an opening so they could go in and out on their own with food and water at the opposite end and wood shavings on the floor. PS my broody box also served previously as Chicken General Hospital when Don hurt his foot.

 

[ange]

I als have welsummer hen and that is brooding, any other pictures of broody cage. Can I let her out of the cage in that day, or does she always have to stay there, in the broody cage

 

[Dirt Road]

Hens that are confined to small cages should be turned out every day, preferably at the same time each day. If the cage can't be left open, you can physically move her out and close the door till she stirs around for a few minutes. Once she moves around a bit, nature will take it's course. A pen around 8 feet long, with a nest box or hut in one end, and the feed and water in the other works very well. If one doesn't have that much room, you make do with what you have.

Jim

 

[ange]

i AM GLAD TO HEAR YOU SAY THAT THE broody hen needs to be turned out ewveryday into the yard. Today, I made a placxe for the hen to go until she finidshes her broodyness, no chicks are involved, never has been and not for wahile. I took a medium size dog crate, all wire, all around and raised the crate up on cinder blocks, only a few inches of a wooden pallet, so she can get some air into her bottom. I placed a dish of food and water in there, hope I did ok, do you think. sahe is in the same coop as the other hen, just confined to her wire cage, then every afternoon around 3 :00 I let her out into the yard to roam with the other hen. Today is the first of the broody cage. What do you think? Also, while we are at it, I have 2 month old chicks, in a diffeent dog crate, 4 chicks, rhode island reds., Can I put the coop, dog crate out into the coop, still in the dog crates, so the chicks will be protected but getting used to it. Is it to early are they too young. I live in western new york state finger lakes, it is about 80 in the day and maybe 50 or 60 at night. What do you think of that?

 

[DuckFanatic]

I'll post pics of my broody duck's setup in a minute...

 

[DuckFanatic]

can't find my camera cord...

 

[ange]

thanks when you find your cord, I will see, you sound like me...