June Hatch A Long

[jolenesdad]

Here is the tour..
View attachment 1826849
The one from the broody hen pictures is first, its the 2nd one I built and the first with he hardware cloth venting at top. I only had clear roofing material at the time so I put cardboard under it to prevent it from becoming a solar oven. The roof is a huge liability when it comes to predators because it can be easily lifted off. I fixed it by putting concrete block on top at each corner when I lock down at sunset.

View attachment 1826851
Open door, It was designed for bantams but turns out large fowl can get in that tiny door way. I wouldn't expect a Jersey Giant to fit in that door.
View attachment 1826853
Door shut, I found the cheapest most effective chicken door is a concrete block, too heavy for predators to move, easy for me to move.. and very cheap.

View attachment 1826854
The Inside, pardon the mess its currently being lived in, I have a 5 inch lip to keep bedding from being scratched out by mama bird, and a mini stair case for chicks, although they do not need it after 2 or 3 days.

THE MOST RECENT BROODY BOX
View attachment 1826855

I made this one shorter because the previous height wasn't needed, The Roof can actually lock into place to be predator proof, Its Duplex so it holds 2 different broods.

View attachment 1826856

View attachment 1826857
The inside, currently not being used so its fresh straw with a little foyer area for food and water and a 2.5 inch (2x3) lip to hold the bedding in. The doors are in opposing corners and I used potted trees on the outside when in use to guide the broods in different directions or the mama birds start fighting. It can actually look nice and landscaped when I do that but my intention isn't to make it pretty. When Mamma Birds get along I put them in the one large brooding box together.

The First one I made.

View attachment 1826858 I now use it to house Cornish X that I restrict feed to for breeding. Currently not in use. Holds 3 CX's or 3 freedom ranger types. This is in my fenced in composting area and encourages foraging. It was previously a brooding box but young chicks struggled to get in an out with the sliding door being a bit too high. It has no hardware cloth ventilation but there is a small 1/4 gap between boards in the back and in the front they are tight, its how I made the pitch for the fixed roof. I stopped using it as a brooding box because the roof is fixed and I have kneel down in manure to reach in there.

WOAH. BOOKMARKED THIS AMAZING POST. Job well done.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Any idea what this guy is? He has mottled feet.

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Adorable! That's what he is! lol, No idea what breed though.

Here is the tour..
View attachment 1826849
The one from the broody hen pictures is first, its the 2nd one I built and the first with he hardware cloth venting at top. I only had clear roofing material at the time so I put cardboard under it to prevent it from becoming a solar oven. The roof is a huge liability when it comes to predators because it can be easily lifted off. I fixed it by putting concrete block on top at each corner when I lock down at sunset.

View attachment 1826851
Open door, It was designed for bantams but turns out large fowl can get in that tiny door way. I wouldn't expect a Jersey Giant to fit in that door.
View attachment 1826853
Door shut, I found the cheapest most effective chicken door is a concrete block, too heavy for predators to move, easy for me to move.. and very cheap.

View attachment 1826854
The Inside, pardon the mess its currently being lived in, I have a 5 inch lip to keep bedding from being scratched out by mama bird, and a mini stair case for chicks, although they do not need it after 2 or 3 days.

THE MOST RECENT BROODY BOX
View attachment 1826855

I made this one shorter because the previous height wasn't needed, The Roof can actually lock into place to be predator proof, Its Duplex so it holds 2 different broods.

View attachment 1826856
Shut Door

View attachment 1826857
The inside, currently not being used so its fresh straw with a little foyer area for food and water and a 2.5 inch (2x3) lip to hold the bedding in. The doors are in opposing corners and I used potted trees on the outside when in use to guide the broods in different directions or the mama birds start fighting. It can actually look nice and landscaped when I do that but my intention isn't to make it pretty. When Mamma Birds get along I put them in the one large brooding box together.

The First one I made.

View attachment 1826858 I now use it to house Cornish X that I restrict feed to for breeding. Currently not in use. Holds 3 CX's or 3 freedom ranger types. This is in my fenced in composting area and encourages foraging. It was previously a brooding box but young chicks struggled to get in an out with the sliding door being a bit too high. It has no hardware cloth ventilation but there is a small 1/4 gap between boards in the back and in the front they are tight, its how I made the pitch for the fixed roof. I stopped using it as a brooding box because the roof is fixed and I have kneel down in manure to reach in there.

Thank you for being so thorough in your explanations and the tour! This has given me a few ideas as well!

 

[CluckNDoodle]

My uneducated guess..... Adorable

LOL! I guessed the same "breed" before I read your post.

 

[UThobbyfarmer]

I'm a bit late in joining. But I've got some hatching happening today. Always so exciting. They're all BBS Marans with a couple of olive eggers.

It's also my first time using a new still air incubator as a hatcher. This is in addition to the regular incubator. I've separated out some eggs I'd like to keep track of chicks from.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I'm a bit late in joining. But I've got some hatching happening today. Always so exciting. They're all BBS Marans with a couple of olive eggers.

It's also my first time using a new still air incubator as a hatcher. This is in addition to the regular incubator. I've separated out some eggs I'd like to keep track of chicks from.

View attachment 1826975 View attachment 1826977 View attachment 1826978

Yay! How many eggs?

 

[jolenesdad]

I'm a bit late in joining. But I've got some hatching happening today. Always so exciting. They're all BBS Marans with a couple of olive eggers.

It's also my first time using a new still air incubator as a hatcher. This is in addition to the regular incubator. I've separated out some eggs I'd like to keep track of chicks from.

View attachment 1826975 View attachment 1826977 View attachment 1826978

Good luck!!! Can’t wait to see the chicks

 

[UThobbyfarmer]

Yay! How many eggs?

13, I think, between the two incubators.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Here is the tour..
View attachment 1826849
The one from the broody hen pictures is first, its the 2nd one I built and the first with he hardware cloth venting at top. I only had clear roofing material at the time so I put cardboard under it to prevent it from becoming a solar oven. The roof is a huge liability when it comes to predators because it can be easily lifted off. I fixed it by putting concrete block on top at each corner when I lock down at sunset.

View attachment 1826851
Open door, It was designed for bantams but turns out large fowl can get in that tiny door way. I wouldn't expect a Jersey Giant to fit in that door.
View attachment 1826853
Door shut, I found the cheapest most effective chicken door is a concrete block, too heavy for predators to move, easy for me to move.. and very cheap.

View attachment 1826854
The Inside, pardon the mess its currently being lived in, I have a 5 inch lip to keep bedding from being scratched out by mama bird, and a mini stair case for chicks, although they do not need it after 2 or 3 days.

THE MOST RECENT BROODY BOX
View attachment 1826855

I made this one shorter because the previous height wasn't needed, The Roof can actually lock into place to be predator proof, Its Duplex so it holds 2 different broods.

View attachment 1826856
Shut Door

View attachment 1826857
The inside, currently not being used so its fresh straw with a little foyer area for food and water and a 2.5 inch (2x3) lip to hold the bedding in. The doors are in opposing corners and I used potted trees on the outside when in use to guide the broods in different directions or the mama birds start fighting. It can actually look nice and landscaped when I do that but my intention isn't to make it pretty. When Mamma Birds get along I put them in the one large brooding box together.

The First one I made.

View attachment 1826858 I now use it to house Cornish X that I restrict feed to for breeding. Currently not in use. Holds 3 CX's or 3 freedom ranger types. This is in my fenced in composting area and encourages foraging. It was previously a brooding box but young chicks struggled to get in an out with the sliding door being a bit too high. It has no hardware cloth ventilation but there is a small 1/4 gap between boards in the back and in the front they are tight, its how I made the pitch for the fixed roof. I stopped using it as a brooding box because the roof is fixed and I have kneel down in manure to reach in there.

Wow, you have a great setup! You’ve really thought about how to make everything very functional - I really like your boxes! So do your hens free range with the chicks, or is there another fence around everything?

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

I'm a bit late in joining. But I've got some hatching happening today. Always so exciting. They're all BBS Marans with a couple of olive eggers.

It's also my first time using a new still air incubator as a hatcher. This is in addition to the regular incubator. I've separated out some eggs I'd like to keep track of chicks from.

View attachment 1826975 View attachment 1826977 View attachment 1826978

Looks like you are already having a good hatch!

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

So, as posted earlier, none of the eggs that we had placed under Susan the silkie last weekend hatched, leaving us with a broody and unhappy bird. She has not ever had chicks and is a year old. She’s actually perked up this week and is eating better when I get her out twice a day, which is a relief! She’s been sitting on ceramic eggs since last weekend, while we ordered chicks to put under her. The ordered six LF breed chicks hatched Wednesday, were shipped last night (Wed night) , and should be arriving at our post office at 3:30 AM tomorrow (Friday) morning, when I can pick them up. I had intended to set them up on arrival in a brooder with heat, feed, electrolytes etc Friday, then place under Susan Friday night. But, if they do arrive so early in the AM, should I instead pick them up and put them right under Susan before dawn? Dawn here is about 6 AM, so I don’t know that I’d have time to get feed or drink into them before placing under broody. Also, I’ve read to place under her wings rather than body so she doesn’t accidentally crush them? Lastly, anyone ever play the sound of pipping chicks peeping to their broodies during the night before giving them chicks? I thought that might help her to transition from setting to mom mode, since she’s a first timer...