New member to BYC!

[Tookie]

Hello, welcome to BYC!

 

[triciayoung]

Thank you can I ask did you do anything special my girl is in one of the nesting boxes and I am worried about the other girls trying to use that box to lay and them fighting and breaking her fertal eggs. So we were thinking of building a box with chicken wire to place in front of the nesting box and leaving the end open so she could come and go and hopefully deter the rest of the flock from going into that nesting box. Also adding 2 more nesting boxes under the poop tray. I am new to this and want it to go smoothly. Do I put food and water close to her or just let her go out to the run? When the chicks hatch put food and water at there time in the area inside the coop?

I didn't answer your second question Put food and water close to her

 

[triciayoung]

Me personally would let the hen, while sitting on eggs, go get her food and water at the regular place so she gets her exercise. Then when the chicks hatch, she'll take them there too. I would then change out the feed in that feeder to chick starter crumbles. It will be good for the older chickens too, especially your rooster(s), but you'll have to have a dish of oyster shell out for the hens as starter doesn't have as much as layer feed.

The momma hen will protect her chicks and the others will learn to stay away from her.

Exercise is a good point, but broodies get bullied and the other hens would try to thwart her efforts to get to food and water - so I put them in with her.

 

[sourland]

I didn't answer your second question Put food and water close to her

But far enough away so that she has to leave the nest to eat and drink. Otherwise she may develop the habit of defecating in the nest.

 

[triciayoung]

But far enough away so that she has to leave the nest to eat and drink. Otherwise she may develop the habit of defecating in the nest.

Yes, I should have communicated this also.