Hello All from 1/2 hour outside of Pittsburgh, PA - Need ideas on my broody hen (Pictures too)

[mevscms]

Hello everyone! I currently have 17 chickens with an odd mix of cochins, americaunas, silkies, Frizzle, a polish and bantams such as the old english, serama, and silver seabright that are all mixed in with each other. They were all hand raised from chicks and are so nice. My two year old is oftentimes in the pen with them feeding them their treat of the day (scratch or vegetables, sometimes millworms). I enjoy chicken rearing for eggs only, and to me they are pets. They each have a name.

Currently I have a Silkie who has gone broody for the 2nd time. Yes, I have some roosters ( too many, and I need to get some out but I am a bleeding heart and want someone to take them for breeding rather than eating). Anyway, The first time she went broody i tried to move her as she kept collecting the other hens eggs. She also keeps getting jumped on by one to two of the roosters. She just lays there and takes it while laying on her eggs. Last time she had one break and was covered in goo. I tired to move her last time and she quit laying on her eggs. One was 3/4 of the way to be hatching. My question is, Is it ok to leave her in the coop, but to put a cage around her with her own separate food and water?

This pic is of Missy(silkie) and my Americauna, Nutmeg. Nutmeg is just busy laying another egg which Missy will soon collect under herself. as you can see Missy is fair game to the roosters because of where she is.


Our son, and Buddy.



Some of the nesting boxes, for some reason their favorite spot is the floor in the corner.

Outside Run
Right side of the coop. We converted two man door storage units into our chicken coop. In May of 2013 we had a juvenile Black bear destroy our wooden one while we were away. Game commissioner confirmed. This right side is where we keep the food and laying area, and the left side has the water in the winter and the main perching area. We have perches in the right side, but they prefer to all be in the left.

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us! It's okay to leave your broody hen in the coop, unless she is getting hurt, is ruining the eggs (or getting dropping on them), etc. I recommend to "break" your broody hen (meaning you stop her from being broody). The best way to do this is to put her in a cage with wire floor. She won't like to sit down like a broody hen because the wire isn't comfortable, so she has to stand up. Thus, she stops being broody and after a day or two you can move her back to the coop.

 

[mevscms]

Thank you very much for your reply. I was actually hoping to allow her to hatch some of the eggs. Due to the roosters, most of the eggs we get are fertile, but none of the other hens have tried to actually raise babies from them. I plan to remove some of my roosters from the flock by relocating them to new homes in the case of new babies. I also have some relatives who would like of few babies if I were to get any. So, I was hoping to allow her to try and hatch some of the eggs. If there were no roosters,or if I did not want chicks, I would most certainly do as you have advised. Thank you again fro your response and welcome to the group.

 

[drumstick diva]

Broodies are great - maybe you could put a wire partition around her to keep other birds away. If she is sitting now and more eggs keep getting added, she will have a staggered hatch. When her first chicks hatch she may be so busy with them she will walk away from eggs due to hatch later. It's really best to give her eggs all at one time so the hatch date is constant.

Please make sure she leaves the nest 2-3 times a day to eat, drink and poop. Some broodies refuse to do so, so have to be put outside for 15 or 20 mins. to accomplish this.

Welcome to Backyard chickens. Sending you good hatching vibes

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[mevscms]

Thank you so much drumstick diva! I really can't tell if she is getting up or not.... I have checked on her 5-6 times today and she may change position but I have not seen her actually up and about. Would I just pick her up and make her move? That won't make her abandon the eggs? I found an old wire dog crate that I have removed the bottom of. I was thinking of placing that over her and giving her food and water of her own while still being in the coop. Do you think this will help?