My broody has eggs due to hatch on Friday!!!! AHHHHHHH!!!!

[Myst4]

I don't know what to do. I mean, she is in a smallish pen,in the coop that all of my other chickens share. Their food dispenser for my adult chickens is hanging,suspended from the ceiling in the coop and they seem to spill it everywhere. I don't know what to do when the eggs hatch. I have no way of keeping the broody and new babies seperate from all of the others(they are free range now). I keep the coop door open all day so the others can go in,lay their eggs,eat or whatever they want. I do have a pen attached to the coop with a little ramp going into a small door to the coop. I can't keep the broody and babies "cooped" up in that little pen I made, but I'm scared to let them go free range too(I have cats that catch small birds and mice). I can't just keep them in the coop,because the others won't have a place to lay their eggs. And I can't keep them in the pen outside of the coop, because there isn't any shelter,or food,or water.......HELP!!!!! What should I do? Should I let them go free range with the others? Will they be ok?

 

[Chirpy]

I am hoping that my broody hatches her first batch a week from Saturday so I'm in the same position you are.

Here's what I'm planning for right now:

I have an old rabbit hutch. As soon as the chick(s) are hatched I'm going to move momma and babies to it. It will be inside the chicken run so it has added security of the fencing. My hubby is adding on to our chicken coop right now and will be giving me a new fenced area separate from the one I have now so that I can separate chickens if needed. It's specifically for my new babies that are two weeks old. I'm thinking that I will eventually add the momma to the baby flock and trust that she won't kill any of my older chicks (they will be a month older than hers) and that they won't try and attack her chicks (I'm quite sure she will protect them valiantly).

I'm certainly open to better ideas and suggestions also .... so I'll be watching this thread to see what advice you get.

 

[Myst4]

nobody seems to be answering Chirpy

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Can you build a "box" type shelter in the pen? Something just big enough for her and the little ones (remember to add enough room for a few weeks of growth).

I'm planning on using an old water tub that has a whole in it for a chick house when I turn them into their run. I will put it upside down with a hole cut into the front for the door and some holes drilled into the back to allow air flow.

 

[Myst4]

Quote:
In my barn we have built a brooder...quite big,for my 12 two and a half week old chicks. Right beside it is another "pen" like the brooder, a bit bigger,for when my older chicks out grow the brooder they are in. I am considering putting my broody and babies in that until they are old enough to be on their own(when she stops taking care of them). Although, I won't have anywhere to put my older chicks when my the chicks I have hatching on the 27th are old enough to put in the brooder. Maybe my dh will build an extention to those pens for the broody and her babies(adopted babies lol ,10 EE eggs I placed under her)
I will have to do some sweet talking to dh.

 

[sunnychooks]

Hopefully, I'll have chicks hatch from under a broody tomorrow or Friday. I have always gotten day-olds from a hatchery, so I plan on brooding these chicks artificially as well. If you have another hatch coming soon, you could make a brooder from a tupperware container. Then you could put the hens back into the flock and not worry about the chicks being picked on.

 

[Myst4]

Quote:
I've thought of that...but wouldn't that upset the broody?

 

[dacjohns]

Please more comments and suggestions. I'm in a similar boat.

My broody has chicks almost a week old now. I have kept them segregated in a separate part of the coop. I have another broody in the same part of the coop that should hatch in less than a week.

Broody #1 with chicks already wants to go out of the coop and roam the yard (free range).

I'm not sure when to let her and the peeps out. (I also haven't done much research yet.)

I don't know if there will be a problem with the chicks on the way.

I don't think it is safe to put them all with the chicks that are 4 weeks old. Size and lack of space are issues.

I don't want to put them all in a brooder either.

 

[sunnychooks]

Quote:
I've thought of that...but wouldn't that upset the broody?

I'm not really sure because I've never done this before. I plan to let the broody stay with the chicks for a day or two, then move her back into the coop at night. I guess I'll see how it goes, how she reacts and how long it takes for her to get over not having her chicks. If she is really upset I have a small area of the chicken yard that can be sectioned off, but I'm concerned about predators because the area has no top. We'll see what happens.

 

[austinhart123]

i just let my hens raise their chicks how they want and i dont seperate them unless there banties then i seperate and let them out when im at the ranch