Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[winteree]

I had to figure out how to get mine to go into the coop on their own. I've tried feeding them in there at dusk, treats in there, going in there first, etc. What worked best was to figure out who the first chicken was to roost, b/c that's the one they all followed to roost where I didn't want them to roost. Once she was settled (in the wrong place), I picked her up and put her in the coop; she hopped up on the roost and I looked behind me to see the rest of the flock coming to check out Snoodle's new digs. I only had to do that two nights in a row; the third night, Snoodle went into the new coop on her own and the others followed. =D

i have been doing that i wonder if these are the type of un trainable bantams my grams always warned me about

 

[TeaChick]

i have been doing that i wonder if these are the type of un trainable bantams my grams always warned me about

lol They might be. I hope not, but some chickens are more stubborn (or stupid) than others and ya just can do a thing with them.

Here's hoping yours learn to love their coop!!!

 

[winteree]

lol They might be. I hope not, but some chickens are more stubborn (or stupid) than others and ya just can do a thing with them.

Here's hoping yours learn to love their coop!!!

me too i don't want them to get taken out by a rat or something because they wouldn't sleep in the coop at night

 

[mrsdanamiller]

Hi all, I have 6 hens and our blue Marans hen went broody on Sunday. I realized it for sure Monday, and in my ignorant excitement went and bought 12 fertile eggs for her to sit on. I say ignorant, because this is my first broody ever and I had no clue it would be problematic for her to stay in the coop. Well, I don't want to break her brooding, but she is in one of the busiest nesting boxes. Would a nesting box curtain help deter other gals nesting there? There are 3 other boxes, so plenty of room.
Also, I suspect she may have mites. Can I dust her with some Sevin while she is in the box, or do I need to take her out? I am not sure, because I haven't inspected her. I also know I need to keep the bedding clean. I guess my main point is When/how should I take her out to look at her/take care of these necessities? Should I even take her out? I am afraid to break the broodiness.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I am behind on the learning curve and the chickies will be here in only 19 days!!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Hi all, I have 6 hens and our blue Marans hen went broody on Sunday. I realized it for sure Monday, and in my ignorant excitement went and bought 12 fertile eggs for her to sit on. I say ignorant, because this is my first broody ever and I had no clue it would be problematic for her to stay in the coop. Well, I don't want to break her brooding, but she is in one of the busiest nesting boxes. Would a nesting box curtain help deter other gals nesting there? There are 3 other boxes, so plenty of room.
Also, I suspect she may have mites. Can I dust her with some Sevin while she is in the box, or do I need to take her out? I am not sure, because I haven't inspected her. I also know I need to keep the bedding clean. I guess my main point is When/how should I take her out to look at her/take care of these necessities? Should I even take her out? I am afraid to break the broodiness.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I am behind on the learning curve and the chickies will be here in only 19 days!!

Congratulations on your broody.

A nesting curtain might not help if birds can easily push through, but you can try it. Depends on how pushy the other girls are and how tight the curtain fits at the bottom. I've subdivided my coop before with a well placed board. Be sure that mom has food and water nearby in the nest box, but so it can't tip into the nesting area.

I don't take my broodies out...I figure Nature has things programmed well enough. They will get up, eat and drink and poo when they are ready, so I'm of the camp that doesn't intervene. If you do seclude her in one nesting box, it should work if she has a little "veranda" where she can stretch and relieve...or simply in the box if it is large (mine are over oversize so that I can set up the nest at one end, food and water at the other, room to stretch in the middle).

You can use Poultry Dust or Sevin. Put it in a nylon sock and use it like a powder puff. Also sprinkle the shavings where she is nesting...preferably under the shavings and the wood as mites live in the coop not on the bird. I also like to spray with Orange Guard...a non-toxic deterrant made from orange oil. Be sure to not get that on the eggs. You can do that when she gets up to eat, or place a tasty treat for her and gently lift her to that while you take care of the nest area. I'd also avoid getting the dust on the eggs as you don't want anything to interfere with the air flow as the growing chicks need lots of good oxygen.

Be sure to dust her with the make shift powder puff on her vent and under both wings and maybe between the shoulder blades. Repeat in 10 days. You should dust her again when the chicks hatch. They'll get the dusting when they run through her feathers, which will be good as you don't want them catching the mites.

Good luck!
Lady of McCamley

 

[mrsdanamiller]

Congratulations on your broody.

A nesting curtain might not help if birds can easily push through, but you can try it. Depends on how pushy the other girls are and how tight the curtain fits at the bottom. I've subdivided my coop before with a well placed board. Be sure that mom has food and water nearby in the nest box, but so it can't tip into the nesting area.

I don't take my broodies out...I figure Nature has things programmed well enough. They will get up, eat and drink and poo when they are ready, so I'm of the camp that doesn't intervene. If you do seclude her in one nesting box, it should work if she has a little "veranda" where she can stretch and relieve...or simply in the box if it is large (mine are over oversize so that I can set up the nest at one end, food and water at the other, room to stretch in the middle).

You can use Poultry Dust or Sevin. Put it in a nylon sock and use it like a powder puff. Also sprinkle the shavings where she is nesting...preferably under the shavings and the wood as mites live in the coop not on the bird. I also like to spray with Orange Guard...a non-toxic deterrant made from orange oil. Be sure to not get that on the eggs. You can do that when she gets up to eat, or place a tasty treat for her and gently lift her to that while you take care of the nest area. I'd also avoid getting the dust on the eggs as you don't want anything to interfere with the air flow as the growing chicks need lots of good oxygen.

Be sure to dust her with the make shift powder puff on her vent and under both wings and maybe between the shoulder blades. Repeat in 10 days. You should dust her again when the chicks hatch. They'll get the dusting when they run through her feathers, which will be good as you don't want them catching the mites.

Good luck!
Lady of McCamley

Thank you very much for that reply!!! I appreciate the info so much! I do have a question. Would you mind looking at the pics of my coop and seeing what you think might work for what you referred to as a "veranda"? It's under my name on the left. "My coop". I have food and water in the coop for her right now, but she does have to leave the nesting box to get there. Also would she get too hot with the curtain. It's been appx. 100* lately here in KS.

 

[fisherlady]

Thank you very much for that reply!!! I appreciate the info so much! I do have a question. Would you mind looking at the pics of my coop and seeing what you think might work for what you referred to as a "veranda"? It's under my name on the left. "My coop". I have food and water in the coop for her right now, but she does have to leave the nesting box to get there. Also would she get too hot with the curtain. It's been appx. 100* lately here in KS.

Lady pretty well covered the bug problem... only extra thing I would do (having seen your set up) is to plan on treating all of your birds, and changing out all of the bedding in the coop at the same time to hopefully remove many of the parasites who could be hiding in the straw. With a bit of prep work it could be done rather quickly while the hen is out on her daily food and poo break.

Your coop set up is really cool! Nicely done! I see what you are concerned about though with now having a broody to work with. I can't tell from the pictures how the dividers in the nest boxes are designed? I see there are 2 boxes per door, and a divider in place.... is there any way the divider can be removed? If it can be removed or even a hole cut in it then you will be able to give her a 'whole door' to herself and her new chicks. Her nest can remain in one half, the other half can have a small waterer and feeder for her or the chicks.

If she picked a box near the hinge (wall side) then you can create a chicken wire partition simply by taking a piece of 3 or 4 ft high chicken wire, stapling the top and bottom to slat boards (approx 1/2"x2") which are as long as your coop is deep (from edge of door frame to front wall of coop) This will give you a flexible wall. two screws can secure the one board to the side of the coop at about 2 ft high, arch the wire and attach the other board to the floor with a couple of screws at about 1.5 foot or so from the wall. This should create a 'tube' with one end blocked by the front wall of the coop and the other end up against the hole into your nest box when the door is closed. It will allow the broody to have room to stretch her legs and give her an area of safety for the first 2 or 3 days with the new chicks..

To reduce her being bothered by the other hens you can do a couple of things... the curtain idea may work, but may not do what you want. If you decide to do that then make sure you mark her 'good' eggs with a clear line around them or other easily seen mark so you can remove 'intruder eggs' each day.

You can create a chicken wire door, simply make a frame (slightly larger than the opening of the nest box) out of scraps wood and staple chicken wire on it.... hang the frame over her nest door with cup hooks... 2 on top, 1 on bottom, allow the bottom one to be inside of the frame, so that when the door is hung the bottom cup hook can be turned to the down position and act as a 'lock' to keep the door from lifting or flapping, when you want to remove it you just turn the cup hook 1/2 turn to free the bottom and let the frame swing and then lift off of the top cup hooks.

Vents can be cut into the top of the nest boxes and covered with hardware cloth to allow for ventilation if it is too stuffy , keep the wood which is cut out so it can be used to create a 'plug' for the vent window when weather is cold. you can also find dryer vents and air inflow vent covers at building supply places, they have angled air inlets to prevent rain intrusion and most already have fine meshing to prevent insects also.

 

[fisherlady]

Thank you very much for that reply!!! I appreciate the info so much! I do have a question. Would you mind looking at the pics of my coop and seeing what you think might work for what you referred to as a "veranda"? It's under my name on the left. "My coop". I have food and water in the coop for her right now, but she does have to leave the nesting box to get there. Also would she get too hot with the curtain. It's been appx. 100* lately here in KS.

I looked at your set up again and have one more option, though it depends on how much modification you are able to do or if you think it is OK for how you want it to be.... Can you make a 3rd 'door'? Basically it could be used in 2 places, it could replace one of the original doors or it could become a 3rd door (temporary or permanent) on the side of the coop. Same design as your original doors, maybe a bit deeper if it is just being used on the side. Create a relatively small cut out on the side of the coop which the new door can cover, remember that the whole side doesn't need cut out, this new door is more just a giant nest box, it only needs a pop door opening into the coop. Attach it as a hinged broody box... it can be removed when not needed and the 'pop door' opening you cut into the coop can be covered with plexiglass to become a window when not needed.

 

[elsfieldchickens]

OMG that is sooo cute

what is she a australorp? she's so pretty!!

she is a game mix bantam

 

[Johnn]

Urghhh! I've made the same mistake as I made last year! I have give the chicks mixed corn at an early age and now they refuse to eat chick crumb! Will just have to give them scrambled egg and meal worms on the weekend for protein boosts. They should be able to find their own on nice days as they are free range so will find plenty of bugs, worms etc