Mahonri's 3rd Annual, BYC Easter Hatch-a-long!

[gryeyes]

Just marking my spot.

 

[buckabucka]

Advice needed:

As you know, I have a little broody hen. She's super serious, I believe, as she has now pulled all of the feathers out of her breast and was holding the wooden eggs under her wings when I went to move her last night. I moved her to a 4x4 coop with a run that adjoins the big coop's run. I made her a nest and moved her two wooden eggs along with her. I wanted her to settle in for a few days until some eggs arrive which I could put under her. Well, she did not sit on her wooden eggs today. She pecked around in the run, so I figured she had given it up and let her out in the afternoon to range with the others.

She made a beeline for the big coop and promptly began brooding another couple of wooden eggs.

I don't want her to brood and hatch in the regular nest boxes because I don't want eggs added to the clutch and I have a couple of hens which are a bit bully-ish and might harm chicks when hatched. I'd like to let her mother, but I don't want to do it if it's going to be hard to provide chick feed, water, protection, etc. when they hatch. I could put a dog crate in the big coop, but she might not stick to that nest either.

I had one other broody this past fall. I let her stay in the coop. She hatched out one chick and pushed him out of the nest where he chilled to death, so I'm a bit gunshy.

Recommendations?

I'm pretty sure SCG made a screen door type thing to trap her hen on the nest (and keep others from laying there, and chicks from falling out). That way, she could be in the main coop in the nest that she has chosen. You would have to take her out for food and to eliminate, maybe once a day or something. SCG, didn't I see a photo? Maybe on the Maine thread? I just got word that my Basque eggs have shipped! I'm hoping my west coast mix ships out today also.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Yes, I built a "screen" for broody mommas. Measure your opening for your nest boxes, use 2x2s or something similar to build a frame that will barely fit in there, hardware cloth the middle of it. Shove it in the hole. I use shims to keep it steady and in place.

Take screen off once daily, take angry broody off nest to eat, drink and poop. And poop she will. It will make you nauseous and probably dry heave (or smell fantastic to you if your name is Laree). Once she's done all that, she'll go back to the nest, and probably not the right one, the stupid biddy, so you'll have to put her back on her nest and then fit the screen back over it. I also mark the eggs with a marker, just in case, so I'm certain of what's approved brooding material and what's not.

Once she hatches you can wait 24 to 48 hours and then move momma and babies to a crate, brooder, etc.

Close up:



In use, side view, with shim


Not in use, both of them are being stored up top.

 

[ChooksChick]

Hahahahahaha!!! Someone on here is getting a surprise from me!!! Ah, I know we'll hear about it in a few days. Oh, I'm a barrel of laughs....

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Hahahahahaha!!! Someone on here is getting a surprise from me!!! Ah, I know we'll hear about it in a few days. Oh, I'm a barrel of laughs....

Kathy getting more emus?

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:

 

[featherz]

if someone wants to surprise me with an emu egg, feel free.. Of course, I'd have to figure out how to make my bators big enough to hatch it.

(And what would I do with an emu?!?!?!?)

 

[ChooksChick]

I'd love it if I had emu eggs to bandy about...but alas, it is inanimate.

Hey, did AKMichelle ever fess up about what she was being mysterious about the other day? What was that?

 

[superchemicalgirl]

if someone wants to surprise me with an emu egg, feel free.. Of course, I'd have to figure out how to make my bators big enough to hatch it.

(And what would I do with an emu?!?!?!?)

I think the proper answer is to sleep with it. That's what Kathy's daughter did.

 

[ChestnutRidge]

I'm pretty sure SCG made a screen door type thing to trap her hen on the nest (and keep others from laying there, and chicks from falling out). That way, she could be in the main coop in the nest that she has chosen. You would have to take her out for food and to eliminate, maybe once a day or something.
SCG, didn't I see a photo? Maybe on the Maine thread?
I just got word that my Basque eggs have shipped! I'm hoping my west coast mix ships out today also.

I have new nest boxes coming that this idea may work with, but right now she's trying to brood in a cardboard box on the floor. Maybe I could put a top on it to keep out other hens and cut a door into the cardboard when the chicks hatch. Hmm. I could potentially put a box of wire right over the floor boxes if needed. You may be onto something with this...

My Basque eggs shipped on Friday and were supposed to arrive today. The tracking info says they left the Tenn. PO on Saturday....

I'm hoping they'll show up today or tomorrow.