Hatching with 2 broodies

[tommysgirl]

DH aka Tom has finished the new pen so Beakface and brood will have a safe place to hang.....just in time because it looks like another nest box will be out of commission as Godiva my Chocolate Rock girl has taken it into her head to go broody.

If she sticks she will be given some of our own eggs to hatch...aye aye aye...The more chickens you have I guess the more drama in the coop.

 

[lizgarf]

DH aka Tom has finished the new pen so Beakface and brood will have a safe place to hang.....just in time because it looks like another nest box will be out of commission as Godiva my Chocolate Rock girl has taken it into her head to go broody.

If she sticks she will be given some of our own eggs to hatch...aye aye aye...The more chickens you have I guess the more drama in the coop.

I don't know, my 4 hens seem to generate plenty of drama. The coop is full of my brahma's feathers this morning, so she is definitely molting too, and even my two broodies appear to be taking the opportunity to molt. They're all on chickstarter these days, which is supposed to help them lay during the molt, because of the increased protein, but they're not buying it! Everyone is on holiday. It sure makes me miss my red star, all the more. The next hen to go broody is getting red star chicks! None of this worrying about their becoming roosters or lazy broody, molting, barnyard mutts.

 

[Teila]

The next hen to go broody is getting red star chicks! None of this worrying about their becoming roosters or lazy broody, molting, barnyard mutts.

lols Liz

 

[Carrie54452002]

So now here comes the questions about integration into the flock.... my babies are a few days old now but still INCREDIBLY SMALL. I have them in a seperate coop in the garage with a lamp a few feet above to take the chill outta the air just a tad as it is getting into the 20's at night right now. Should I make Mumma go outside by herself for a bit to not make her crazy in the coop? When should I kick them out....? When I get home it is already dark so not letting them out at night that's for sure. I was thinking when I have a spare second maybe this weekend I will supervise an outing. I am just really worried about their reception. Sorry, lots of questions I know. Can some you new Mama's let me know what worked for you? The first time I got babies I just brooded them in the house for about a month but there weren't a bunch of big hens waiting for them when they got out so this is a little different this time around.

 

[lizgarf]

Hi Carrie,
I think every situation is different, but integration went pretty well in my coop. I just removed a barrier I had placed between the nest and the rest of the coop and they integrated on their own, with some pretty mild pecking from the currently poorly-named Grace. I was told that most broodies will have no trouble protecting their chicks from the other hens. When I tried to set them up in their own crate inside the coop, mom led them right back to the old nest.
I would think that in your situation, the cold is your biggest enemy, so I wouldn't take mom away from her babies now, and she wouldn't want to be separated either. Even now, at 2 weeks, my broodies won't leave the coop when I let the other hens out for their ranging break. They look like they want to, and might even jump out for a second, but then think better of it and jump right back in.
Is there a way you can move their coop into the larger living area so that the other hens get used to them before complete integration, and so mom and the chicks know where home base is? Otherwise, as long as the brood have a little space and something to dustbathe in, they probably don't want to go outside until the chicks are a little older.

 

[16 paws]

I agree with Liz, with the three different broody and chicks I introduced, I had them in the coop in a wire cage, a big dog crate in fact. Like Liz said, this allows them time for the others to see them but to also be separate. When the broody mama started to pace around a lot I knew it was time to let her out into the coop with her chicks. I have 2 roos and 9 other hens and I have never had a chick even come close to being hurt by the others. My Jersey Giant broody would chase anyone that got near her babies and even the big Americana Roo was scared of the broody. The Roo wasn't even interested in the new chicks. Let mama do her thing and stand back and be amazed!

That is the way it worked for me anyway.
Good luck and God Bless
Marie

 

[tommysgirl]

So now here comes the questions about integration into the flock.... my babies are a few days old now but still INCREDIBLY SMALL. I have them in a seperate coop in the garage with a lamp a few feet above to take the chill outta the air just a tad as it is getting into the 20's at night right now. Should I make Mumma go outside by herself for a bit to not make her crazy in the coop? When should I kick them out....? When I get home it is already dark so not letting them out at night that's for sure. I was thinking when I have a spare second maybe this weekend I will supervise an outing. I am just really worried about their reception. Sorry, lots of questions I know. Can some you new Mama's let me know what worked for you? The first time I got babies I just brooded them in the house for about a month but there weren't a bunch of big hens waiting for them when they got out so this is a little different this time around.

What liz saidVVVVVVV

Hi Carrie,
I think every situation is different, but integration went pretty well in my coop. I just removed a barrier I had placed between the nest and the rest of the coop and they integrated on their own, with some pretty mild pecking from the currently poorly-named Grace. I was told that most broodies will have no trouble protecting their chicks from the other hens. When I tried to set them up in their own crate inside the coop, mom led them right back to the old nest.
I would think that in your situation, the cold is your biggest enemy, so I wouldn't take mom away from her babies now, and she wouldn't want to be separated either. Even now, at 2 weeks, my broodies won't leave the coop when I let the other hens out for their ranging break. They look like they want to, and might even jump out for a second, but then think better of it and jump right back in.
Is there a way you can move their coop into the larger living area so that the other hens get used to them before complete integration, and so mom and the chicks know where home base is? Otherwise, as long as the brood have a little space and something to dustbathe in, they probably don't want to go outside until the chicks are a little older

and what 16 paws said too VVVV

I agree with Liz, with the three different broody and chicks I introduced, I had them in the coop in a wire cage, a big dog crate in fact. Like Liz said, this allows them time for the others to see them but to also be separate. When the broody mama started to pace around a lot I knew it was time to let her out into the coop with her chicks. I have 2 roos and 9 other hens and I have never had a chick even come close to being hurt by the others. My Jersey Giant broody would chase anyone that got near her babies and even the big Americana Roo was scared of the broody. The Roo wasn't even interested in the new chicks. Let mama do her thing and stand back and be amazed!

That is the way it worked for me anyway.
Good luck and God Bless
Marie

And I would just add that in my case, the pen in which my mama hatched her chicks is with the other big girls and a roo. They don't mess with her or the babies. It is not predator proof though the coop is. When the chicks got more adventurous I got more nervous that they would leave the coop for the pen, get out of the pen and get snatched by a raptor so during the day we have moved them into a day pen which is predator proof and has a roof and in the evenings we stick them all back in the coop with everyone else. So far that has gone smoothly. So sometimes because of your facilities you have intervene but the less you do in general, the better. Mama knows best...usually.

 

[lizgarf]

And, as if to show me up, my broody moms took the chicks out of the coop today for the first time! When I opened up the door for the aunties to come out, the moms hopped out right away. Daisy hopped out right after them, and Ida figured it out after awhile (and a couple return trips from Rousseau). It was nerve-wracking for me, because the cat next door was checking us out, and I wasn't really emotionally prepared for them to leave the nest, so to speak. But, they stayed very close (within a foot), and I easily got them back inside with some scratch, after about 15 minutes on the outside.
How fast they grow! (note their great back/wing flower development - good signs for girls!)


Pretty soon, they'll be like Grace here, up on the roof, (getting away from my dog, when I forgot the aunties were still out in the back):


But, really, who could be scared of my dog:


Teehee, that was fun!

 

[tommysgirl]

Quote:

It sure makes me miss my red star, all the more. The next hen to go broody is getting red star chicks! None of this worrying about their becoming roosters or lazy broody, molting, barnyard mutts.

liz I will probably have red stars sometime this spring from a breeder quality Delaware hen and a hatchery NH roo. If you would like me to let you know when I get them I will.

 

[Teila]

G'Day Team Broody!

Not a very happy bit of news today .. Britney is losing the fight; I will be surprised if she makes it through the night; I'm already blubbering at the thought of losing my little wrecking-ball! It turns out she is internal laying for which there is no cure

I know what I should do but I just can't do it; no way!

Anyway, I know she had a fun filled time with me and I am really going to try and not make her memory a sad one.

So, in answer to Carrie's question; I agree totally with Liz, 16Paws and TG! For the first couple of weeks Cilla could easily have gone on a free range and left her bubbies but she didn't; she stayed with them the whole time. Now they have worked out how to get down the ramp and after much coaching from Cilla and me over many nights, back up again!
At the bottom of the ramp is a nice scratching and dust-bathing spot so they don't need to go far from their 'ranch'. I do not let them out unless I am home to supervise any possible aerial attacks from Mr Crow; mind you, the rate they are growing, he would be hard pressed to take one!
Dusty has started to show some interest when they are all out together but as the girls have said, Cilla is doing a good job of letting her know to 'step away from the babies'!

With regards taking mumma away and the cold; I probably wouldn't go down that path. Even at nearly 3 weeks old Cilla's bubbies still cuddle up under her every night and we don't have anywhere near the low temperatures you are experiencing; we are in our spring and the nights are humid. As TG mentioned, mumma knows best and I am letting Cilla lead me as to any decisions I make. At present, they get probably 1.5 hours in the afternoon each day when they are out and about.

Dusty is probably going to be on her own soon so I am thinking that this weekend will be the time to move the 'ranch' and incorporate it into the existing covered run which means all day scratching and dust-bathing and the bonus of added company for Dusty. As Liz mentioned, we have also had some minor pecking when one of the bubbies strays too close to Dusty but nothing that I am too worried about.

Luv the pictures Liz .. your cat and dog are gorgeous!