MJ's little flock

[wolf-deer88]

Good morning/evening MJ and everyone

Good morning!

I have found the hens will get up when hungry but sometimes they go a few days in a row without moving.

I haven't been able to get comfy with the idea of getting them up. I know lots more experienced people than I get them up and I did it myself the first time Ivy went broody, but it feels all wrong. How can I possibly know if a hen is hungry or not? They don't need energy when they sit all day. Also, I would never disturb a person when they're in the zone and I can easily extend that respect to the hens. It's taken me a while to learn to trust them, but the hens at my house seem to take good care of themselves if given a chance to develop their independence.

Yes, broody hens will get up to eat and drink, usually when the sun starts to go down and/or before it rises. Chickens can only go 24 hours without eating. Sometimes I'll just put some food beside my hen, where she can eat while she's setting.

 

[BY Bob]

Maybe just let her live through it until her three weeks are up then start putting her on the roost at night after dark. After a few nights she might stay up all day.

At least, this tactic works with Mary, Ivy and now Peggy too.

That way the hens learn about sitting and self care. So if you ever decide to try a hatch, the hen will have good basics established.

Not that it's a guarantee of things going well.

There are no guarantees for sure but it helps.

 

[BY Bob]

View attachment 2976433

It's the first step of the journey to the new roosting cosy corner.

The neighbour kindly let me use his enormous car to go fetch lumber. The saw guy helped me out big time with my selections.

Then I picked out the fixings and paint. Tomorrow I paint. Next Saturday I'll try some constructing.

Then I'll plan the next step.

This is exciting! I love construction projects!

 

[BY Bob]

Tegan’s still broody after five weeks… She gets herself up though.

Have you considered breaking her? That is a very long time.

 

[Grammy60]

Good morning!

Yes, broody hens will get up to eat and drink, usually when the sun starts to go down and/or before it rises. Chickens can only go 24 hours without eating. Sometimes I'll just put some food beside my hen, where she can eat while she's setting.

Good morning @phoenix827

 

[RoyalChick]

View attachment 2976433

It's the first step of the journey to the new roosting cosy corner.

The neighbour kindly let me use his enormous car to go fetch lumber. The saw guy helped me out big time with my selections.

Then I picked out the fixings and paint. Tomorrow I paint. Next Saturday I'll try some constructing.

Then I'll plan the next step.

Oooh - do you have a sketch of where this will be? I know it was in the plans from the very start. Exciting!

 

[LozzyR]

Have you considered breaking her? That is a very long time.

I don’t want to crate her, I hate doing that. I’m hoping she’ll come out of it herself soon. She’s been getting off the nest more.

 

[MaryJanet]

Oooh - do you have a sketch of where this will be? I know it was in the plans from the very start. Exciting!

No I haven't a sketch of that but it's going in the top left corner of the run, which is beyond the tables in this photo.

The posts in the photo will form the corners of the roost.

It won't be a coop like you're used to with your cold winters. Instead, imagine a roost over a raised and easy to clean floor with walls on three sides that reach only as far down as the raised floor to create a breezeway beneath, and a skillion roof.

The patch beneath will therefore be double shaded some of the day and triple shaded most of the day. I'll put food and water under there.

Once that's built, I'll dispense with the old tables and put some plantings where the tables are and it goes without saying, I'll exclude the hens from that patch until the plants are well-grown. I'll be selecting the plats from what I see thriving around the neighbourhood, things like plumbago and wisteria, and from one of dad's ornamentals that he put in the wrong spot. That won't be until spring at the earliest.

Once the plantings are established, the hens will have a good stretch of deep shade, plus the misting. By then, the flock should be around 6-8 hens and I hope to have provided sufficient layers of shade for them to stay cool when the heat is at its worst.

 

[MaryJanet]

I don’t want to crate her, I hate doing that. I’m hoping she’ll come out of it herself soon. She’s been getting off the nest more.

I've never even tried crating. I care too much about the hen's freedom to choose for herself to put her in a crate all on her own and force her into disharmony with her biology. It gets a big No from me.

 

[RoyalChick]

No I haven't a sketch of that but it's going in the top left corner of the run, which is beyond the tables in this photo.

View attachment 2977088

The posts in the photo will form the corners of the roost.

It won't be a coop like you're used to with your cold winters. Instead, imagine a roost over a raised and easy to clean floor with walls on three sides that reach only as far down as the raised floor to create a breezeway beneath, and a skillion roof.

The patch beneath will therefore be double shaded some of the day and triple shaded most of the day. I'll put food and water under there.

Once that's built, I'll dispense with the old tables and put some plantings where the tables are and it goes without saying, I'll exclude the hens from that patch until the plants are well-grown. I'll be selecting the plats from what I see thriving around the neighbourhood, things like plumbago and wisteria, and from one of dad's ornamentals that he put in the spot. That won't be until spring at the earliest.

Once the plantings are established, the hens will have a good stretch of deep shade, plus the misting. By then, the flock should be around 6-8 hens and I hope to have provided sufficient layers of shade for them to stay cool when the heat is at its worst.

I love the sound of that plan. I can’t wait to see it come together. Very exciting !