California - Northern

[zooweemama]

I know lots of people use shavings or paper towels when they brood chicks in a container. I use clean potting soil (with no fertilizer). It's easy to use, the chicks love to dust in it, and it warms up quickly. Since it already has sandy particles in it, I don't need to worry about pasty butts.

Anybody else use it?

No but it sounds genius really. Then you can put the dirt right in the compost too- further adding awesome goodies! Wow nice idea!

 

[zooweemama]

Broody Hen care questions please.

1. I marked each egg under her with a number. 1,2 3 and 4 - she is on 4 eggs. I want to slip 4 duck eggs under her. Do you think that would be ok to mix them? Or just do chicken for now?

2. Betty's WHOLE underbelly is buck naked. No feathers at ALL. Normal? I assumed she did it to keep the eggs warm..yes? Good sign of her broodiness right?

3. I need to move her from the lay box to a broody den I have for her. Is there a way to best handle that? I am going to keep her in the coop but I need to actually move her and the eggs out into the broody den. Is there a better time than others to do so? Best bedding for her broody den...pine shavings?

4. ANY other tips you want to share?

I did place a dish of food and water directly in front of her lay box for now. In case she wants to eat or drink. She does protest a bit but will allow me to handle the eggs. Is there a point in this process I should STOP handling her eggs?

Thanks guys! I am excited and nervous. I don't want to mess Betty's first broody season up.

 

[waititout]

Oooh, good luck Zooweemama with Broody Betty! Sounds so exciting!

I have a question for you all.

I have a pair of silkies who are now 21 weeks old. I know it takes longer for silkies to mature, but my roo keeps wrestling with the pullet and grabbing her by the neck feathers. There are feathers everywhere! This has been going on for the past two weeks. He has also started his sideways dance stepping when she and my little ones come near. Is the beginning of them doing their "business"? She doesn't squat yet. Still hoping she's a she after all.

Oh, on another exciting note...My New Hampshire (Clementine) laid her first egg in over a month!!! Hoping the others will follow! My BR (Izzy) is still going strong with almost an egg a day.

 

[SilkiesForEver]

I know lots of people use shavings or paper towels when they brood chicks in a container. I use clean potting soil (with no fertilizer). It's easy to use, the chicks love to dust in it, and it warms up quickly. Since it already has sandy particles in it, I don't need to worry about pasty butts.

Anybody else use it?

Wow, I never thought of using that. But it sounds like a good idea. Maybe I'll try that with the 14 eggs that are in the bator.

 

[zooweemama]

Oooh, good luck Zooweemama with Broody Betty! Sounds so exciting!

I have a question for you all.

I have a pair of silkies who are now 21 weeks old. I know it takes longer for silkies to mature, but my roo keeps wrestling with the pullet and grabbing her by the neck feathers. There are feathers everywhere! This has been going on for the past two weeks. He has also started his sideways dance stepping when she and my little ones come near. Is the beginning of them doing their "business"? She doesn't squat yet. Still hoping she's a she after all.

Oh, on another exciting note...My New Hampshire (Clementine) laid her first egg in over a month!!! Hoping the others will follow! My BR (Izzy) is still going strong with almost an egg a day.

Thanks! I am not sure with the silkie thing though. Totally unfamiliar with them.

 

[debs_flock]

Broody Hen care questions please.

1. I marked each egg under her with a number. 1,2 3 and 4 - she is on 4 eggs. I want to slip 4 duck eggs under her. Do you think that would be ok to mix them? Or just do chicken for now? Don't mix them, ducks take 28 days and chickens 21 days. She'd either have to abandon the ducks or ignore the chicks when they hatch. You'd lose one or the other without stepping in and taking care of the chicks are moving the duck eggs to an incubator.

2. Betty's WHOLE underbelly is buck naked. No feathers at ALL. Normal? I assumed she did it to keep the eggs warm..yes? Good sign of her broodiness right? Pretty normal, but usually a bit further along in the process.

3. I need to move her from the lay box to a broody den I have for her. Is there a way to best handle that? I am going to keep her in the coop but I need to actually move her and the eggs out into the broody den. Is there a better time than others to do so? Best bedding for her broody den...pine shavings? Move her at night when she is catatonic from sleep and broodiness. Shavings are fine.

4. ANY other tips you want to share?

I did place a dish of food and water directly in front of her lay box for now. In case she wants to eat or drink. She does protest a bit but will allow me to handle the eggs. Is there a point in this process I should STOP handling her eggs? It's best to just leave them alone and let her handle everything.

Thanks guys! I am excited and nervous. I don't want to mess Betty's first broody season up.

 

[SilkiesForEver]

This made me smile.

 

[HighNDryFarm]

Broody Hen care questions please.

1. I marked each egg under her with a number. 1,2 3 and 4 - she is on 4 eggs. I want to slip 4 duck eggs under her. Do you think that would be ok to mix them? Or just do chicken for now?

2. Betty's WHOLE underbelly is buck naked. No feathers at ALL. Normal? I assumed she did it to keep the eggs warm..yes? Good sign of her broodiness right?

3. I need to move her from the lay box to a broody den I have for her. Is there a way to best handle that? I am going to keep her in the coop but I need to actually move her and the eggs out into the broody den. Is there a better time than others to do so? Best bedding for her broody den...pine shavings?

4. ANY other tips you want to share?

I did place a dish of food and water directly in front of her lay box for now. In case she wants to eat or drink. She does protest a bit but will allow me to handle the eggs. Is there a point in this process I should STOP handling her eggs?

Thanks guys! I am excited and nervous. I don't want to mess Betty's first broody season up.

Know that there is a good chance of breaking her broodie if you move her. As Deb said, do it at night and somewhere you can lock her in for a few days so she won't try to go back to the place she chose. I moved my broodie over a foot because a rotten egg exploded and made a mess. I mixed clean shaving in with her original nest that wasn't too soiled and moved the eggs. What was pipped and peeping loudly. I came back a few hours later and she was back where she started and only took a few eggs with her...the pipping one was not one of the chosen and it got cold and died. Picky little things! Remember, people move broodie's to break their broodiness.

Quote: #2 I was surprised to hear she'd plucked her belly clean already. Mine plucked herself right before "lockdown", I felt to increase humidity.

 

[peeppeeppeep]

Hi, I am up the Redding area and would love to find a good home for our bantam rooster. I don't know what breed he is because someone basically threw him over the fence one night. Guess they saw our big red barn and decided this would be a good place for the roosters they didn't want.

We have had him about a year, I guess, but it creates problems with our chickens having two roosters (actually we are down from four earlier in the year). That is because our big old EE rooster will beat this one up if I let them out together.

I have him listed on CL but I really just want him to go to a good home with hens to guard, and not for food or fighting! He is too pretty for that! Anyone want a free rooster?

.

 

[zooweemama]

This is where Betty is right now. Should I just leave her there? Is her box big enough for now? Maybe move her when she has the chicks?
And a pic of her nudey chest haha.

Excuse the coop mess. I was cleaning out the coop. I've since added more shavings. And another lay box I picked up from the store. The Buff Orps will only use floor boxes to lay. My EEs and bantam girl will often use the ones up top. The broody bin is off to the right there- but I don't want to move her if it might break her broodiness. If she is ok where she is for the next 3 weeks then I can leave her be.