moving a broody hen? do it or dont do it? **we have a baby** update

[Dar]

As many of you know I have had silkies in my brooder/quarantine pen for about 90 days now. These chicken tractor is now ready for them to move in.

1 Problem...I have a broody hen we are between day 15 - 20 for the 6 eggs.

I have a pair of Arucanas waiting patiently at their former home for the brooder/quarantine pen to become available for them to be able to move to my home.

I have another smaller pen that I can move my 1 broody silkie hen into while she cares for her eggs and soon to be babies. This pen is about 24" X 36".
1) is this cage/pen big enough to be used as a maternity ward for a few weeks until all the eggs are hatched? or will the hen get to flipped off at me and stop sitting on the eggs?

2) she has been with her fellow quarantine mates for 90 days...will she get lonely all by her self? or does she have a 1 track mind...babies..babies...babies?

thanks...

 

[DANNY]

I think hens like to be by themselves when setting. The cage will be big enough but i would put something like paper and put shaving on it for a few days till the babies get started they tend to get their feet hung in the bottom wire fore a few days. Or you just might keep them in a solid bottom pen for a few days and then put them on wire. What size wire is in the bottom of the cage?

 

[Dar]

its an old ferret /degu cage kinda like a rabbit cage...it is a solid bottom and the chicks cant get out because the bottom pan is about 10" deep

 

[citrusdreams]

That's big enough for a broody hen and you should be able to move her just fine. She'll probably prefer to be by herself, but you can always put her in with her companion if she seems lonely. That's unlikely though.

 

[Dar]

thanks....this should be fun...she is a nasty broody...i will wait till she goes to sleep for the night

 

[ThePamperedPullet]

We have moved three of them now to their own pens just before hatching and they have all loved the solitude. The last one we just moved yesterday and this morning we traded her 5 non pipped eggs for 10 pipped eggs and 6 have hatched at last check and she is a proud mommie now. The 5 non pipped eggs went into our hatcher with the 40 other eggs. 3 have since hatched and 2 are in waiting.

 

[Dar]

uhoh

moved the momma and man is she ticked!

i hope the eggs will hatch

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

LOL I was just going to say that she may get angry. Mine sure did. And I only moved her from the floor to the nest about 6 inches away. She tried to move the eggs back and it was a big hassle but she finally calmed down. I didn't think she would ever sit back on the eggs but they all hatched out just fine. 100% hatch

 

[Dar]

well I went to bed last night with one PO'D momma

I woke up this morning to 1 out of 5 eggs hatched... successfully

WE HAVE A BABY!!

but how do you get a brown chick from a white momma and a white daddy?


so over the course of the week I am expecting more babies!