Hatching with 2 broodies

[tommysgirl]

I have dealt with two Broodies, this summer. One has a week old chick and the other is still sitting. They are both puffed up, and don't seem to even know who I am. They peck, the scream, the cuss! But they are awesome Moms and egg sitters. I was wondering how long the Momma's craziness is going to last. The are both Buff Orpingtons.

They remain crazy up to three weeks or more after the hatch. Even bottom of the pecking order little Julie Taylor who in all honesty is a bit of a sham as a mommy is still a fierce protector. She is on week two with babies. She gives them to Gracie Belle to sit on at night and is not terribly attentive during the day but let another hen get between her and them and she is the angriest black feather dustier you have ever seen. Once chicks get bigger the craziness lessens but until they are weaned it is still a possibility.

Hi Sonya9,

Wow, sounds like you really take good care of your broodies! I love it. I guess I should be doing the same...
I have 3 broodys now. I was just wondering where you get frontline spray? I have only heard of the drops you put on the dogs back. Does it come in a spray and where do you get it please? The vitamins sound good also, how much b12? I guess I have very calm broodies compared to broodzilla there. Mine let me reach under them and take their eggs without out too much fuss at all. All their chickenalities are all so different arent they. I bet she will calm down a bit after the chicks arrive. If not I feel sorry for the rest of the flock

good luck on the hatch, its so eggciting isnt it?

You can get frontline spray on Amazon or from the online pet supply people like 1800petmeds.com.

Oh, I forgot to tell everyone that Penny my Jersey Giant is broody AGAIN!!!!! She is crazy! She just had some babies a couple months back....

So Layla, Blue Cochin, first time broody
Sophia, white crested black polish, first timer
And Penny, Jersey Giant, 5 time broody in 2 years I believe
Now I have to plan this out right in case the chicken police come to visit and count. Hummmmmm
wonder where I can hide a few chicks????
Tommysgirl, any ideas?

Invisibility cloaks! But truly, I think that chicks not counting is universal...Even people that don't know squat about chicken math know that it is adult creatures that matter. Like there are dog limit ordinances here but if you are a breeder you can temporarily have more than the limit because you have puppies. Same applies for chickens.

 

[Farmer Viola]

They remain crazy up to three weeks or more after the hatch. Even bottom of the pecking order little Julie Taylor who in all honesty is a bit of a sham as a mommy is still a fierce protector. She is on week two with babies. She gives them to Gracie Belle to sit on at night and is not terribly attentive during the day but let another hen get between her and them and she is the angriest black feather dustier you have ever seen. Once chicks get bigger the craziness lessens but until they are weaned it is still a possibility.

wow! I thought I remembered you describing that before. does Julie Taylor always give them to Gracie Belle every single night? and she continues to mother them in the morning?

Last night something odd happened with my two co-broodies, they both got up on the roost! The babies are only 2 weeks old. I started to get really worried, they cannot abandon them yet! too little! I watched through the coop door and both moms kept clucking to the chicks up on the roost, as if they could get up there. the mamas prefer the biggest tallest roost since they are at the top of the pecking order. I asked my husband to build them a mini roost soon, hopefully that will help. after some clucking, it was actually Beetlejuice who jumped down to cover the chicks! I really thought it would have been Bertha, she is much more motherly than BJ. but maybe she just needed a night off and a good night's sleep. I am going to be interested to see how they sleep again tonight!

Wendy is doing great as a mom with her two chicks. She is much, MUCH more broodzilla than BJ and Bertha! Those two almost trust me I feel, they have allowed me to get close to their chicks and even touch them without losing their minds. if I even bring water to wendy she turns into a basketball! I have to get a photo of her poofed up, she's SOOOO huge! it's crazy

the last of wendy's fertile eggs is in the incubator; just 1. her chicks are nearly a week old. I am going to put this 3rd chick under her a night and pray that it is accepted

Quote: sorry, this is being used for mites on chickens, yes? is it because it is safe for mamas and chicks?

I ask because I just discovered a mite problem in the coop yesterday! It seems I should just expect it with these hot summer months. note to self, I also need to put DE in their food as their regular worming preventative. is DE bad for chicks to eat?

I discovered the mites in the evening and went to the store to get supplies. I fumigated the coop with it completely sealed by smoking cayenne pepper in there. note: do NOT open the coop door and inhale the cayenne smoke when checking for coop fire, you will cough for a really long time. I also sprayed the roosts with neem oil which also kills and removes mites. It was getting dark and they wanted back inside the coop, so I did not have time to dust the chickens. I did pick up 1 of my splash BLRW girls (white feathers) and I could not see any mites on her at all. but they were most certainly on the roost. my hope is that they only go onto the birds at night, and so by treating the roosts right before bedtime they were all dead. I hope? I think I am still going to dust the wings and vents with seven-5 to be safe. I don't think I can use that on the moms though, so they will just have to be tough for now..

in other news, one of my BLRW cockerels has a crop problem. he's been inside separated in his own apartment for a few days while I get him sorted out. we moved past the initial crop impaction but he is still having problems over filling it. so I am keeping him in a dog crate outside but on restricted food. he isn't very happy about it, but it's the best I can do for him.

 

[KendyF]

wow! I thought I remembered you describing that before. does Julie Taylor always give them to Gracie Belle every single night? and she continues to mother them in the morning?

Last night something odd happened with my two co-broodies, they both got up on the roost! The babies are only 2 weeks old. I started to get really worried, they cannot abandon them yet! too little! I watched through the coop door and both moms kept clucking to the chicks up on the roost, as if they could get up there. the mamas prefer the biggest tallest roost since they are at the top of the pecking order. I asked my husband to build them a mini roost soon, hopefully that will help. after some clucking, it was actually Beetlejuice who jumped down to cover the chicks! I really thought it would have been Bertha, she is much more motherly than BJ. but maybe she just needed a night off and a good night's sleep. I am going to be interested to see how they sleep again tonight!

Wendy is doing great as a mom with her two chicks. She is much, MUCH more broodzilla than BJ and Bertha! Those two almost trust me I feel, they have allowed me to get close to their chicks and even touch them without losing their minds. if I even bring water to wendy she turns into a basketball! I have to get a photo of her poofed up, she's SOOOO huge! it's crazy

the last of wendy's fertile eggs is in the incubator; just 1. her chicks are nearly a week old. I am going to put this 3rd chick under her a night and pray that it is accepted

sorry, this is being used for mites on chickens, yes? is it because it is safe for mamas and chicks?

I ask because I just discovered a mite problem in the coop yesterday! It seems I should just expect it with these hot summer months. note to self, I also need to put DE in their food as their regular worming preventative. is DE bad for chicks to eat?

I discovered the mites in the evening and went to the store to get supplies. I fumigated the coop with it completely sealed by smoking cayenne pepper in there. note: do NOT open the coop door and inhale the cayenne smoke when checking for coop fire, you will cough for a really long time. I also sprayed the roosts with neem oil which also kills and removes mites. It was getting dark and they wanted back inside the coop, so I did not have time to dust the chickens. I did pick up 1 of my splash BLRW girls (white feathers) and I could not see any mites on her at all. but they were most certainly on the roost. my hope is that they only go onto the birds at night, and so by treating the roosts right before bedtime they were all dead. I hope? I think I am still going to dust the wings and vents with seven-5 to be safe. I don't think I can use that on the moms though, so they will just have to be tough for now..

in other news, one of my BLRW cockerels has a crop problem. he's been inside separated in his own apartment for a few days while I get him sorted out. we moved past the initial crop impaction but he is still having problems over filling it. so I am keeping him in a dog crate outside but on restricted food. he isn't very happy about it, but it's the best I can do for him.

I love the term Broodzilla, and am going to use it! LOL

 

[Farmer Viola]

I love the term Broodzilla, and am going to use it! LOL

lol it is SO fitting, right!?

 

[Sonya9]

But truly, I think that chicks not counting is universal...Even people that don't know squat about chicken math know that it is adult creatures that matter. Like there are dog limit ordinances here but if you are a breeder you can temporarily have more than the limit because you have puppies. Same applies for chickens.

Yuppers. Plus remember the phrase "Do you have a warrant"? Better yet just greet them at the door with your car keys in hand and say you would love to invite them in but you are late for an appointment (as you lock the front door behind you).

Another tip....everyone in the U.S. has the right to remain silent; few develop the ability.

 

[chickencrazy999]

Heya team,
Well today has been an interesting day sunshine now has a total of 22 chicks as my uncle has bought over another six today and she has took to them very well and is such a good mummy and now we are going to extend her living area as she has so much I will try and get some pics Tomoz
So today has also been very traumatic as 5 of my silkies and 15 of my uncles other birds has been killed by a cunning fox which managed to slip through a small gap in a metal gate in the garden they were kept in that has now been fixed and has been wired up so the fox can not get through anymore my uncle has also set up a snare to try and trap the fox so this means I no longer have two blue silkie hens anymore which I a quite sad about as they were so pretty and friendly but I guess these are just some things that you have to face when keeping chickens and everything happens for a reason I am going away for a week so I will not be on for awhile as I'm going on a family camping trip! Anyway so now all the other survivors of the fox attack are now locked up in a secure chicken shed until we get this blumin fox problem sorted I will keep you updated on the news and will try to post some pics
Hope all is well and take care
Ella

 

[16 paws]

chickencrazy999
I am so sorry to hear about your loss including your uncles chickens. I know that is so very hard for you to go thru. I wish I could say more to comfort you....

I will be thinking of you...Marie

 

[Sonya9]

sorry, this is being used for mites on chickens, yes? is it because it is safe for mamas and chicks?

Well I sprayed the hens because the chicks are a week away. I do know when a small stray dog showed up here VERY pregnant and had pups 2 days later mama dog started erupting in giant ticks; my vet said go ahead and put frontline on her, it wouldn't harm the newborn pups (and apparently it didn't, of course I only treated the mama dog and not the puppies).

Not sure if I would feel safe dosing tiny chicks with the stuff, do your own research before hand. I much prefer frontline to treating the whole coop and yard though, I would be worried about causing respiratory irritation.

 

[Sonya9]

So I got the coop cleaned up and also added the gate for the pen. I have an adolescent Dixie Rainbow pullet, she is bigger than the adult B.O. but still has the mind of a child, she keeps going into the left nest box and tipping it over, I think she is getting ready to start laying which is good, but messing with the broodys is not good (that nest box has infertile eggs so no harm done).

Wondering about the right nest box though, it is elevated a couple of inches off the ground, should I lower it? Or add a towel or something so the chicks can get in/out? Would like to swap it out for a cardboard box but the broody really loves that covered box).

Any suggestions on the setup so far? I can add a divider between the two broodys when the time comes and also remove the feeding stand.

Also right now everyone is on Purina Flock Raiser (medicated), they have oyster shells on the side. Should I give the chicks starter feed? Or is flock raiser okay?

 

[Farmer Viola]

So I got the coop cleaned up and also added the gate for the pen. I have an adolescent Dixie Rainbow pullet, she is bigger than the adult B.O. but still has the mind of a child, she keeps going into the left nest box and tipping it over, I think she is getting ready to start laying which is good, but messing with the broodys is not good (that nest box has infertile eggs so no harm done).

Wondering about the right nest box though, it is elevated a couple of inches off the ground, should I lower it? Or add a towel or something so the chicks can get in/out? Would like to swap it out for a cardboard box but the broody really loves that covered box).

Any suggestions on the setup so far? I can add a divider between the two broodys when the time comes and also remove the feeding stand.

Also right now everyone is on Purina Flock Raiser (medicated), they have oyster shells on the side. Should I give the chicks starter feed? Or is flock raiser okay?

the few-inch step up into the box will be easily jumped into within a couple days. maybe on the very first day, make them a little step with a towel like you were saying. they will get to hop/flying pretty quickly one chick this morning flew up about 1ft onto my arm where I was sitting in my chair! lol. I really like your broody setup, very nice coop

I also give everyone flock raiser, and supply grit and oyster shell. I don't do medicated, everyone eats the same stuff... easy for me. I think especially since they are free ranging (here), the extra protein from flock raiser is fine!