HELP!! How long can a broody hen safely leave her nest?

[PouleChick]

Don't worry about it. She will turn into the hen from he11 with regard to protecting them when the chicks hatch. None of the other hens will dare get near the Tasmanian Devil.

Ha ha she has been very feisty with me too - I went in yesterday (day 18) to make sure the coop is all clean and tidy up the shavings / try to push some back into the container she is in and generally tidy so I dont' have to bother her at all now until they hatch and she was pecking at me like I was a grain block

This is the best argument for a separate but small coop or pen for your setting hen to incubate in.

It seems to be working well, she can see the others and they her but she is 'safe'.

When should I open the gate so they can all mingle?

 

[bruceha2000]

I have an auto door on the coop and a manual door (the original chicken door) which goes to the brooder space (when installed). The main flock comes out of the coop into the barn alley and hangs around until I open the barn and they have had their BOSS. Then they mostly go outside (non snow times of year).

When Zorra was raising the 2015s I opened the manual door to let Zorra and the chicks out after the others had mostly vacated the barn. This is an "early on" picture



She kept them in the alley for some time, in fact I think I had to encourage her to take them outside at 2 weeks. She had them back in the coop before the others went to bed and kept the "no go zone" around them until they went in the brooder area. After a couple of weeks she tired of waiting for me to open their door and had them all up in a nest box one night. That is where they slept until they were about 4 weeks old and there was not nearly enough room in the nest. The kids started moving up to the 4' high roosts on their own a couple at a time. After a few nights there were just 2 left with Zorra they all started roosting high.

 

[LovinThisFarmGirlLife]

Yes my hen is seperated, she was in with the other silkie - I'd only just got them intergrated in the day with the other 3 (pullets) when she went broody. Doris kept sitting on her to lay her eggs. Then the others started coming in and pecking her in the head so I put Doris full time with the others and shut her little run within the big run off so that she has her own space and own little mini coop (it's one of those rabbit hutch things really) to brood and have the chicks in. They'll all be able to see the chicks. I'm worried as they were pretty mean to poor Hermione before she went broody and we'll have to go through it all again with the chicks in tow - so not looking forward to it so get how you are worrying. Although I need to get a bigger coop built for them all to fit in (have only built a small / temporary / secondary coop so far which is more than big enough for the 4 that are in there and probably a few more until the autumn but depends a bit on what chicks I end up with! Logistic not fully sorted but they'll be right I'll sort something out!
Went to buy crumble (after ringing to check they had it - which they said they did) and they were out (after driving 20kms each way!) public holiday tomorrow so will be Wednesday before I can get some!

Bummer!! That’s happened to me before...they should know what they have in stock! Hopefully you’re able to get some before the chicks come!! Do they eat crumble as soon as their born? Omg I didn’t even think about that!!! I bet she doesn’t take any crap from any of the other chickens once the babies come. There’s a reason for the term “mother hen”!

This is the best argument for a separate but small coop or pen for your setting hen to incubate in. Hens do have a instinct called imprinting that supposedly binds the setting hen to her nest but like all "instincts" in the animal world the imprinting instinct sometimes goes wrong. In nature (real free range) every hen will establish her own natal nest and she will stay committed to it. That is why no chicken keeper can claim to be raising real free range eggs if they keep a multitude of nests or only one nest in a coop full of chickens.

I try to leave things as natural as possible. Next time I have a plethora of lessons I’ve learned from to set her up better. She would have stayed put in her nest just fine if I wouldn’t have tried to block her off from the other chickens. Thankfully I didn’t fumble things up too horribly and we should still get a few chicks. After day 18 I’m just going to put s large metal dog crate over her section of the coop and leave her be. She’ll have plenty of room and the chicks will be safe from other chickens and what not. Live and learn!

 

[Kessel23]

developing eggs can go into a hibernation like state when they get cold. They can do this for 8+ hours. Young chicks and other baby animals can do the same thing for short periods of time, this has even been documented in human babies. They should still be alright.

 

[LovinThisFarmGirlLife]

developing eggs can go into a hibernation like state when they get cold. They can do this for 8+ hours. Young chicks and other baby animals can do the same thing for short periods of time, this has even been documented in human babies. They should still be alright.

Thank you! We lost 4 naturally and one that I thought was gone but wasn’t . We still have 3 that are growing beautifully and should hatch this weekend!

 

[PouleChick]

Hopefully you’re able to get some before the chicks come!! Do they eat crumble as soon as their born?

I picked some up yesterday from another shop (actually it was really good - the guy was really knowledgeable and encouraged me to give mixing some of my own grains up a go - which has always been my plan but just been sticking with the granules these early months). I don't know - I think they wait until mama hen gets off the nest and takes them and shows them so probably depends a bit on that. I think I read on here it can be a while.

I try to leave things as natural as possible. Next time I have a plethora of lessons I’ve learned from to set her up better.

Same here- I'm still in 'getting set up and winging it' mode around here!
Onto the exciting news - they have started hatching!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ng-pics-as-they-arrive.1241412/#post-19920900

 

[bruceha2000]

One thing to think about when mixing your own grains - they may be selective in what they eat. Too much of the "candy" less of the "well balanced".

 

[PouleChick]

I shall keep an eye on them - naughty chookies They seem to like it so far. I was using a prebought grains before and they used to leave the peas til last so obviously didn't think much to them!

 

[bruceha2000]

As long as they get to them eventually and don't just toss them on the floor for the dog to eat.

 

[PouleChick]

As long as they get to them eventually and don't just toss them on the floor for the dog to eat.

Only a cat here and he doesnt' touch them and is too scared of the scary chickens to go anywhere near thier food