Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[aoxa]

It's my uncles/my mams land, its rented out to a farmer who has sheep in there so i doubt he would appreciate having a donkey there, he gets to say what goes there and dosent, im only meant tohave 8 hens, her thinks i have 9, at teh time i had 14 and now i have 11!

The donkey would protect his sheep as well.

Or a llama..

 

[Johnn]

The donkey would protect his sheep as well.
Or a llama..

well if his sheep start to get harmed he will blame the hens and most likley kill a few as revenge as i have thaught he has killed some before....

 

[Lacy Blues]

How about electric fencing Johnn?

Being locked in a pen might not make your girls very happy but it certainly wouldn't kill them. I think your friend might be wrong about the fox. If a fox gets in the coop, where the birds cannot get away, it would kill them all but your birds are out and about.

Still, I would look into electric fencing. You can fence a large portion with some moveable electric poultry fencing. Look it up on the internet. I don't know the cost but I've seen it and people swear by it.

Good luck with that.

 

[aoxa]

How about electric fencing Johnn?

Being locked in a pen might not make your girls very happy but it certainly wouldn't kill them.  I think your friend might be wrong about the fox.  If a fox gets in the coop, where the birds cannot get away, it would kill them all but your birds are out and about. 

Still, I would look into electric fencing.  You can fence a large portion with some moveable electric poultry fencing.  Look it up on the internet.  I don't know the cost but I've seen it and people swear by it. 

Good luck with that.

It's not that bad at all. However, if it is indeed a bird of prey, it won't stop them.

They will get over being contained within a week. I have done it with extra roosters. They were very upset for 3 or 4 days and are now over it.

 

[Johnn]

It's not that bad at all. However, if it is indeed a bird of prey, it won't stop them.
They will get over being contained within a week. I have done it with extra roosters. They were very upset for 3 or 4 days and are now over it.

the farmer would only allow the eletric fencing to be in the boggy parts and after i while i think the hens would prefer to be dead, i would rather let them have a chance to survive and for them to die free then for me to lock them up and make them unhappy, or risk there lifes even more, i obviosuly am going to look at ways of getting this killer. Im just not going to show any effection to them now, because i said i don't want Melow or Flora to die the most if any and they did, then i said I hope Workid survives because she lays and is a really good hen and she was killed, i might just say out loud i hate my hens have them and nothing will get them!!

 

[bobbieschicks]

Oh Johnn I'm so sorry. It's not fun to find the, missing especially if you don't know where or who is taking them. I hate that a hawk killed my silkie because now I keep thinking he's just sitting in a tree waiting for another one. And I don't like living in fear.

I kept my girls penned today but ill be letting them loose again tomorrow. Hoping the hawk has moved on.

He ate the head and was eating the neck and body when I ran him off. He tried to fly away with her it dropped her. If it were a buzzard it would have to be a very big one carrying a very tiny chicken to get away without a trace. My silkie was small and she still wasn't small enough for him to get lift and take her.

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

thanks for the info very helpful!

 

[Johnn]

Thanks Bobbiechicks, hope it has moved on and won't get Topsys chicks when they hatch, how far is she off anyways??, I went up for the fist time in a week to make sure everyones safe in bed, mainly because kids were at mine and wanted to see them so i was happy enough to go because i wanted to check them anyways, and look who i found lieng in a box of poo!, like seiously what sort of hen does that!! (they dont have just that box to sleep on there is perched they just choose not to use them), i think they meby slept like that because its opposite the pop hole so cold wind will come in, the cockerel didn't mind, but he was out the way of the pop hole. I will put some straw ion it next time i am there, dont want them covered in poo!

 

[bobbieschicks]

Thanks Bobbiechicks, hope it has moved on and won't get Topsys chicks when they hatch, how far is she off anyways??, I went up for the fist time in a week to make sure everyones safe in bed, mainly because kids were at mine and wanted to see them so i was happy enough to go because i wanted to check them anyways, and look who i found lieng in a box of poo!, like seiously what sort of hen does that!! (they dont have just that box to sleep on there is perched they just choose not to use them), i think they meby slept like that because its opposite the pop hole so cold wind will come in, the cockerel didn't mind, but he was out the way of the pop hole. I will put some straw ion it next time i am there, dont want them covered in poo!

Haha. That's a chicken for you. Just when you think that you have them figured out they do some crazy thing.

Topsy has one that is pipping two days early. One was crushed and stinky under her so that one was tossed. I went to check on her before heading out to run errands and she as still sitting flat waiting for the hatch. I don't hold out much hope for these chicks with the cold weather and not having moved her nest. But time will tell.

 

[Johnn]

Haha. That's a chicken for you. Just when you think that you have them figured out they do some crazy thing.
Topsy has one that is pipping two days early. One was crushed and stinky under her so that one was tossed. I went to check on her before heading out to run errands and she as still sitting flat waiting for the hatch. I don't hold out much hope for these chicks with the cold weather and not having moved her nest. But time will tell.

Good Luck, i hope she adleast gets one. Hopefully she will stay with it/them abit longer with the cold weather, My other hen that had 15 chicks has 11 now, there seems to be 2 boys and 9 girls, but anyways, shes left them! and in 2 days the orps are 17 weeks and she still hasn't, at this rate shes going to break a world record!