Help! I don’t want to mess this up!

[BigBlueHen53]

Well just keep in mind, without pics it's really hard to advise you. So we're just kinda telling you what WE would do, based on OUR circumstances... but you gotta do what works for you. Best wiishes, you'll work it out, I'm sure!

 

[Masers]

If you can fit a cardboard box in her nesting box, can you slide one underneath her,like you'd slide a paddle under a baking pizza? If you can, you can move her nest without really disturbing it. Prep your kennel first with lots of shavings, then put her and her nest right into the box, but leave it in her nesting box. Once she settles back down on it - which could be right away, could be ten minutes, or could be an hour - pick up the whole box and put the entire thing - box and all - into the kennel. Voila - same nest, new walls!
Then block off the old nest boxes, so she's not tempted to go back in, again.
A note on using a kennel - make sure the grate is not large enough for the babies to go exploring where Mama can't follow. If they slip out and something happens, like the other hen getting too curious, she has no way of getting to them. We wrap ours in 1.2 or 1/4 hardware cloth, the kind you'd use for a rabbit cage. If you're crafty and have plastic quick-point canvas around, that works, too.
And don't ever apologize for a question, here. The only "dumb question" is the one you're too embarrassed to ask, and then ends up costing you a bird. We've all been there - and even the most experienced of "chicken tenders" can learn something from another BYCer. That's the best part of BYC - sharing knowledge, support, and FUN!
Oh - and Welcome Aboard! We're glad you're here!

Thanks so much! this is a very helpful community!

 

[Masers]

Well just keep in mind, without pics it's really hard to advise you. So we're just kinda telling you what WE would do, based on OUR circumstances... but you gotta do what works for you. Best wiishes, you'll work it out, I'm sure!

Thanks! I’m going to think about it and try to figure out a solution tomorrow! Appreciate everyone’s input!

 

[Masers]

Ugh, guys, I went over to check out the situation today, and it’s worse than I was imagining. There is a large hole in the wire screen, right next to the hen, about 6 inches by 6 inches. There is also poop everywhere, and I don’t even know how to clean it. It’s right next to her and she snarls and growls when I get anywhere near her. Plus my arms aren’t long enough to reach the bottom of the box...I’ll have to recruit my husband.

The ramp is also set at an angle, making it very easy for a chick to fall off the edge.

Overall, just not a good setup. But I feel so concerned about moving her at this point. Someone on the incubation forum said you would never move eggs at this point in incubation.

Pics!
Don’t judge the poop!

 

[janiedoe]

Okay, so is the consensus:

A) move her for a bit to line her nesting box with cardboard, then let her go back to her eggs. Possibly screen/close off the opening/ramp area. (So she wouldn’t be able to leave either, though...i’d Just leave food and water up in the area for all of them.)

Or

B) put a dog crate in the coop (ground level), then move eggs to the crate, and put her in the crate? I guess I would close her in so she can’t leave? (And abandon the eggs?) move food and water in there?

I want to do whatever we’re gonna do *tomorrow*, because I think the eggs could be expected to hatch as soon as tomorrow! Eek, talk about cutting it close!

Don't put your eggs in until the hen settles. If she is a maniac like a couple of mine she may break the egg. Try putting a few fake eggs in and then, after she settles in sneak her eggs in and remove the fakes.
I love dog crates for broodies. I line the lower part with hardware cloth, that way I can keep the babies in until mama hen has hatched them all.
Hurry(lol) and good luck!

 

[janiedoe]

I just read your last post. Can you patch the holes and then block her in somehow so the chicks can't fall?
I moved a hen this summer after the first chicks fell out of her chosen nest ( the chick was fine) out of 11 eggs she had a hatch of 8.
Not saying it is a good idea to move them that late, just that I weighed the pros and cons and decided to chance it. Wear work gloves, broodies are viscous.

 

[Ebony Rose]

You actually have quite a bit of room to work with there, how about a nice cardboard box with some comfy litter in it. I personally like shredded paper as it can be composted, burnt or stuffed into a garbage bag when you're done with it. You really only need to worry about the babies for the first week, so you don't need to make 'fort knox'.

 

[MROO]

Ugh, guys, I went over to check out the situation today, and it’s worse than I was imagining. There is a large hole in the wire screen, right next to the hen, about 6 inches by 6 inches. There is also poop everywhere, and I don’t even know how to clean it. It’s right next to her and she snarls and growls when I get anywhere near her. Plus my arms aren’t long enough to reach the bottom of the box...I’ll have to recruit my husband.

The ramp is also set at an angle, making it very easy for a chick to fall off the edge.

Overall, just not a good setup. But I feel so concerned about moving her at this point. Someone on the incubation forum said you would never move eggs at this point in incubation.

Pics!
Don’t judge the poop!

Hmmm - You need a quick, safe, inexpensive "fix" until you can get Mama and babies out and redo the coop and run, right? If I'm understanding this correctly, you have:

1. Just two hens, one on a nest ready to pip and one wandering the whole set-up
2. a two-level coop and run with a five foot drop between the floor of the laying shelf and the floor of the coop
3. Ample space in either level for one hen or one hen and her brood.

If I have that right, and using your picture as a guide, I would:

1. Block the nest level off so that it is a self-contained brooder, creating too separate levels, for now - higher (wire-bottomed) one for Mama and babies, lower one for the doting Auntie. Be sure to leave a way to change water, food and bedding.
2. Cover the entire floor, except where the hen is nesting, with flat cardboard, creating a floor.
3. Cover half of the floor with fine pine flakes as bedding.
4. Add a chick-safe feeder and waterer to the newly floored area, but not right next to Mama.
5. Gently shove a flat piece of cardboard under Mama and her nest - no need to move her out.

You're actually not as far gone as you think. You have lots of good stuff to start with - mainly lots of space! Once the crisis is past, you may want to spend some time on BYC's coop pages. There are so many ideas there that you're bound to find some that will mix-n-match to suit you and your girls to a "tee."

 

[janiedoe]

Hmmm - You need a quick, safe, inexpensive "fix" until you can get Mama and babies out and redo the coop and run, right? If I'm understanding this correctly, you have:

1. Just two hens, one on a nest ready to pip and one wandering the whole set-up
2. a two-level coop and run with a five foot drop between the floor of the laying shelf and the floor of the coop
3. Ample space in either level for one hen or one hen and her brood.

If I have that right, and using your picture as a guide, I would:

1. Block the nest level off so that it is a self-contained brooder, creating too separate levels, for now - higher (wire-bottomed) one for Mama and babies, lower one for the doting Auntie. Be sure to leave a way to change water, food and bedding.
2. Cover the entire floor, except where the hen is nesting, with flat cardboard, creating a floor.
3. Cover half of the floor with fine pine flakes as bedding.
4. Add a chick-safe feeder and waterer to the newly floored area, but not right next to Mama.
5. Gently shove a flat piece of cardboard under Mama and her nest - no need to move her out.

You're actually not as far gone as you think. You have lots of good stuff to start with - mainly lots of space! Once the crisis is past, you may want to spend some time on BYC's coop pages. There are so many ideas there that you're bound to find some that will mix-n-match to suit you and your girls to a "tee."

That is an excellent and well presented plan!

 

[MROO]

That is an excellent and well presented plan!

Thanks - there was so much info and there were so many good recommendations ... and so little time before hatching ... that I needed to write it all out to set it in my own head. Sometimes my thoughts actually make sense!