Opinions wanted!! Broody hen integrated or separated?

[LizzzyJo]

I know there are multiple opinions on this subject, but I want to hear them all!

I am putting fertilized eggs under my 7-day broody hen on Wednesday. She is already a mean girl. THE mean girl (white French marans). She is in the corner of the henhouse (elevated 3 feet off the ground). I have 5 other hens. They have stopped laying eggs anywhere near her.

I want to let her raise her babies fully integrated. It will take a heck of a lot of work to build anything for her to separate her, but I can do it if I HAVE to for success. I’m giving her -not cheap- jubilee Orpington eggs, so I am not willing to throw all caution to the wind. I want to hear your risk assessments before I do this.

Alright guys, I would love to hear your thoughts.

 

[Oncoming Storm]

My flock is completely free ranged and take refuge in my barn. My broody hens isolate themselves in nests they build themselves. When the chicks first hatch they’ll stay away from the group but then when they get a little older, the mom will introduce them to the group. I’ve never had an issue with this method. I’ve never had to intervene or separate anyone so I wouldn’t think you’d need to. But my flock is quite polite to each other since I don’t tolerate bullies so your flock dynamic might also affect it.

 

[waytomanychickens]

My flock is completely free ranged and take refuge in my barn. My broody hens isolate themselves in nests they build themselves. When the chicks first hatch they’ll stay away from the group but then when they get a little older, the mom will introduce them to the group. I’ve never had an issue with this method. I’ve never had to intervene or separate anyone so I wouldn’t think you’d need to. But my flock is quite polite to each other since I don’t tolerate bullies so your flock dynamic might also affect it.

I know there are multiple opinions on this subject, but I want to hear them all!

I am putting fertilized eggs under my 7-day broody hen on Wednesday. She is already a mean girl. THE mean girl (white French marans). She is in the corner of the henhouse (elevated 3 feet off the ground). I have 5 other hens. They have stopped laying eggs anywhere near her.

I want to let her raise her babies fully integrated. It will take a heck of a lot of work to build anything for her to separate her, but I can do it if I HAVE to for success. I’m giving her -not cheap- jubilee Orpington eggs, so I am not willing to throw all caution to the wind. I want to hear your risk assessments before I do this.

Alright guys, I would love to hear your thoughts.
[/QUO i would get a private corner ready for her. i have had better luck letting my broodies sit in the coop and then separating them as soon as their chicks are done hatching to give the chicks a better chance to grow, and having a secure, predator proof pen for a hen with chicks is essential where i live. its also nice to be able to feed the chicks chick starter with their mom and not be feeding it to the whole coop and having chick appropriate waterers helps too

 

[aart]

She is in the corner of the henhouse (elevated 3 feet off the ground). I have 5 other hens. They have stopped laying eggs anywhere near her.

That's the clincher for me, I only have 4 nests so move broody to a separate enclosure, temporary wire wall sections off a 4x6' part of the coop with a floor nest.

How big is your coop?
Where are the other birds laying?


When I have a broody I wait until she's been in the nest most the day and all night for 2-3 days...along with those other signs I posted.

Then I put her in the broody enclosure with fake eggs in the floor nest, she won't like being moved, but if she is truly good and broody she will settle onto the new nest within a half a day.
Then I give her fresh fertile eggs and mark the calendar.

I like them separated by wire from the flock, it's just easier all around.
No having to mark eggs and remove any additions daily, no taking up a laying nest, no going back to the wrong nest after the daily constitutional.

I remove barrier about one week after hatch. The chicks are usually safe it's the broody who has to 'fight' her way back into the pecking order...which can be quick or take a few days.
Lots of space helps for re-integration.

 

[LizzzyJo]

One of my problems is that this is all the space I have. 4x6 coop not counting laying boxes - which she is not setting in. They free range about 3-4 hours most days. The henhouse is ft Knox, but the run has vulnerable places so it is not entirely night secure. If I have to secure her it may be in a dog crate in the run or henhouse?
when you said clenched did you mean for me to leave her integrated or move her @aart ? The others are laying in the nest boxes.
Thoughts others?
For clarification she is the only mean bird of the flock.

 

[Glennzo]

I hatched a clutch of chicks under a hen 3 months ago. She sat on the eggs in the most popular nesting box. The other 5 hens wanted to climb in there all the time until I bought fake eggs from the toy store. I put one egg in each of the other two nests and problem solved. When the chicks hatched I left them with the adult hens. Their mom protected them. She is still mothering them even though they are 13 weeks old already. I would let them intergrate. The only thing that changed was that all the chickens when in chick grower feed.

 

[aart]

4x6 coop not counting laying boxes

You might not have room for more birds?

when you said clenched did you mean for me to leave her integrated or move her @aart ? The others are laying in the nest boxes.

With only 4 nests and 12 layers, I don't want to take up a nest with a broody.
Plus it's just a PITA managing the freshly laid eggs, broody not going back to correct nest, etc,etc,etc.

 

[LizzzyJo]

You might not have room for more birds?

With only 4 nests and 12 layers, I don't want to take up a nest with a broody.
Plus it's just a PITA managing the freshly laid eggs, broody not going back to correct nest, etc,etc,etc.

Yes- I’m full! I will be selling these as started pullets and giving the cockerels (unless I can sell them too) to a friend.

 

[LizzzyJo]

I hatched a clutch of chicks under a hen 3 months ago. She sat on the eggs in the most popular nesting box. The other 5 hens wanted to climb in there all the time until I bought fake eggs from the toy store. I put one egg in each of the other two nests and problem solved. When the chicks hatched I left them with the adult hens. Their mom protected them. She is still mothering them even though they are 13 weeks old already. I would let them intergrate. The only thing that changed was that all the chickens when in chick grower feed.

I am happy to hear this! Oh right the feed! Can I vaccinate myself against mereks and cocciodosis? Or do I give medicated feed?

 

[LizzzyJo]

How about a wire barrier that momma can jump out of but not babies?