Hoping to get my possible broody to set. Questions

[wordgirl]

Alrighty – I have a nine and a half-month old Australorp hen that has been acting a little broody the past couple of days. Every time I go into the coop, she's in the nestbox – the same one. Missing feathers on her breast. She doesn't act aggravated when I disturb her, though.

If she is broody:

I need to separate her from the flock to hatch her chicks, correct? I have a large dog kennel sitting beside the coop (the coop is indoors) that I use when I need to isolate a chicken from the rest (it's only been used for injured chooks – not sick ones). Will she want a smaller nestbox in the kennel, or will she be happy to just use the back/a corner? Can awood chips be used for the nesting material, or is there something else I should use?

After the chicks are hatched, can the mother eat chick starter with them, or should she stay on layer crumbles?

How long will I need to keep the babies away from the rest of the flock?

How many eggs should I try to hatch? I'd like three to five chicks, probably.

Can she keep the babies warm by herself? There is no heat in the coop.

 

[wordgirl]

Whoops...this is in the wrong place...how do I ask a moderator to move it.

 

[Mandalina]

i cant wait until you get replies bc i just stuck my silkie and 5 eggs in a crate a this am and have the same q's as you lol!

 

[wordgirl]

I think I'd like to try two BRXBO and three Gold Sex-LinkXBO. Does that sound like a good first clutch?

 

[dianneS]

It is best to isolate her from the rest, but not entirely necessary. She could be inside the kennel, inside the coop if there is room for it. Or outside if its an enclosed kennel, not wire and its warm enough where you are. She could just use a back corner of the kennel or you could give her a nest box inside the kennel. The smaller nest box with eggs in it (even fake ones at first to be sure she is really broody) would give her the incentive to set for you. You could also just put wire over the nest box she has currently chosen, to keep the other hens out of her nest, but turn her out twice a day to eat, drink and poop.

She should be able to keep the chicks warm by herself, unless its extremely cold where you are.

You can give her as many eggs as she is able to cover and keep warm, and she should be able to hatch them.

Wood chips are fine nesting material. She could eat the chick feed, and probably will. You could provide her with layer feed or just scratch grains too, but she'll most likely eat that chick food, most of them do.

My hens take their babies in with the rest of the flock as soon as the chicks leave the nest. The hen will protect them from the other birds. When you are releasing chicks without a mom into a flock, that is when you can have problems. My hens are always very protective of their chicks and my birds don't really pick on the babies anyway.