Natural breeding thread

[Perris]

Thanks for sharing!
A couple questions... How old are the chicks? How long did they stay out?
I have a protective new momma with 2.5 week old chicks and they haven't ventured out yet, but I'm really looking forward to seeing them out & about!

they hatched on the 3rd and 4th, so they're 3/4 days old now, and were 2/3 days old in the photos; and in a sense they stayed out all day (and the day before) because they were incubated in a planter in the garden by a broody with feral tendencies, who decided all by herself to take them to roost in a coop after their first day out of the planter (and obviously unable to jump back into it).

The sooner you can get yours out on the grass, the better for their health.

 

[OzarkNana]

The sooner you can get yours out on the grass, the better for their health.

Wow! That's quick... I have a flock of 14 and momma freaks out when they come close to the brooder. We've be deluged with rain/storms but today is gonna be a great day!
Not sure if there's a way to encourage her to leave the brooder. Maybe if I pick up their chick feed she'd take them out. Thoughts?

 

[Perris]

she's just doing what all broodies do, protecting her young. The rest of the flock learn quickly that there is no fury like a broody's wrath, and give her and her chicks a wide berth, which is her aim.

You could try opening the gate and moving the food outside.

 

[OzarkNana]

she's just doing what all broodies do, protecting her young. The rest of the flock learn quickly that there is no fury like a broody's wrath, and give her and her chicks a wide berth, which is her aim.

You could try opening the gate and moving the food outside.

That worked! They've been out on the ground (barely) and then back in the coop area. I'm glad she's willing to come out a little bit.

 

[hammyanne]

Caught my buff Brahma Ani staring down my broody:

T-minus 5 days until hatch! I don't usually keep food or water in the coop, but in this case, should I set up a food and water station right outside of the nest? The ramp down into the run, where the food normally is, is rather steep and I worry about the chicks not being able to get back up into the coop.

 

[BDutch]

Caught my buff Brahma Ani staring down my broody:

View attachment 4096496

T-minus 5 days until hatch! I don't usually keep food or water in the coop, but in this case, should I set up a food and water station right outside of the nest? The ramp down into the run, where the food normally is, is rather steep and I worry about the chicks not being able to get back up into the coop.

I hope the roost area for your chickens is not where your Ani sits. The chicks best have outside space without other hens needing to be there too. Bc if the hens get annoyed they possibly try to attack the chicks.

If that space is not used by the other hens you sure can. I had a chick safe water bowl (with marbles) and a little bowl with wet chick feed in the space in front of the nestboxes. A small space where the mama and chicks could go safely for the first few days after the hatch. In fact this was originally a very small coop.
I ‘blocked’ the entrance with a 10 cm high piece of cardboard. The broody could go out to poop that way but the chicks were not tempted to follow. Over of original plank I made a broad plank with a slow angle. To make it easier I stapled a towel on it (anti-slip). If you do the same, be sure the staples can’t come off.

How is your setup? Do you have photos of the whole coop in and outside to get the picture?

Preparing the walk-out area for the first few days. One other hen is one of the co-broodies and wanted to see what was going on:

About a week after the hatch.

 

[hammyanne]

How is your setup? Do you have photos of the whole coop in and outside to get the picture?

Thank you for the thorough feedback! There is a roosting area in the coop but the ladies prefer to roost in the covered run. They really only go inside the coop to lay:

This is inside the coop, taken from the opening that leads into the covered run.

This photo is taken from inside the run. Here’s a photo of the exterior:

Hopefully that gives you a sense of the coop! The coop is on the left side, lifted about 36” or so. That’s a great idea to put a towel on the ramp for traction for the chicks. I’ll prep that in the next coming days.

 

[BDutch]

Great photos!
Make everything the other hens need in the covered run for less disturbance. Add a nestbox in the run.

Basically , I think you have 2 options from here:
1.
Put chick feed and water on the ground floor for the chicks when the chicks are 2 - 4 days old.
Make a double wide ramp (hill) that is less steep instead of the current ramp for the first week. Just to be sure the chicks find the way up again. After a few days practice the chicks know how to get up and the original stairs are okay.

2.
The same, only close/divide the 2 spaces.
That way the broody and chicks can live without stress in the coop area.
I like to do the latter. But it depends on your flock dynamics whether this is best.

If the chicks and hens are not divided, the whole flock needs chicks feed. Layer contains too much calcium for chicks.
Oyster shell on the side is no problem.

The broody and chicks probably will stay on the ground floor the whole day, where the food and water is, and go up to their ‘bedroom’ when the sun goes down. If you are present and watch the broody and chicks when they go up you don’t need another ramp. If they get cold for too long they will die. Chicks start to peep loud if they are getting cold. Only interfere if the chicks don’t understand how to get up.

 

[hammyanne]

Great photos!
Make everything the other hens need in the covered run for less disturbance. Add a nestbox in the run.

Basically , I think you have 2 options from here:
1.
Put chick feed and water on the ground floor for the chicks when the chicks are 2 - 4 days old.
Make a double wide ramp (hill) that is less steep instead of the current ramp for the first week. Just to be sure the chicks find the way up again. After a few days practice the chicks know how to get up and the original stairs are okay.

2.
The same, only close/divide the 2 spaces.
That way the broody and chicks can live without stress in the coop area.
I like to do the latter. But it depends on your flock dynamics whether this is best.

If the chicks and hens are not divided, the whole flock needs chicks feed. Layer contains too much calcium for chicks.
Oyster shell on the side is no problem.

The broody and chicks probably will stay on the ground floor the whole day, where the food and water is, and go up to their ‘bedroom’ when the sun goes down. If you are present and watch the broody and chicks when they go up you don’t need another ramp. If they get cold for too long they will die. Chicks start to peep loud if they are getting cold. Only interfere if the chicks don’t understand how to get up.

thank you for your wisdom, as always! I’ll probably go with option 2, especially since the other hens rarely go into the coop now that the days are warm. It’s hard to tell in the photos, but there’s another little enclosed structure in the center of the run that the hens have laid in before, so hopefully they can use that as the nest box!

We’re officially in lockdown. I candled the eggs and removed one that had stopped developing some time around day 8 or so. I have to say, I’ve been so proud of my girl! She’s been so diligent and has only pecked at me once. She seems to still enjoy my head scratches (which I can’t help but give her while I check on her).

 

[hammyanne]

I do wonder how she’ll fare keeping track of her chicks with her crest (she went broody before I had the chance to trim it back this season), but alas, I’ll cross the bridge when I get to it…