Opinions wanted!! Broody hen integrated or separated?

[LizzzyJo]

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.

This sounds awesome but I don’t have the space. See pics below. What do you think?

 

[aart]

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

Worked here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/semi-isolation-design-for-baby-chicks.1381551/

 

[LizzzyJo]

Worked here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/semi-isolation-design-for-baby-chicks.1381551/

Awesome thank you!

 

[smozi]

If the broody hen doesn't have enough room to really distance herself from the others I would really recommend segregating them somehow. There are just so many complications that can come up otherwise. Squabbles over nest boxes, ending up in the wrong nest box, possible issues with the chicks and other hens, it goes on and on.

I put a large dog crate out in the run, use a milk crate as a nest and have the feeders and waterers in there. Everybody is still close to each other but there are no troubles at all. The chicks can squeeze through the crate if you don't secure it further but depending on the behavior of the other hens that may be fine.

It's a real bummer for the hen to invest so much time and sacrifice their health only for them to end up sitting in the wrong nesting box one night and then it's all kaput, or for competition for nesting boxes raising tensions and causing problems. I've noticed my roosters pick up on this and start doing odd things as well which can be really problematic. Best just to give the broody their own area and keep things simple, again only if they don't have plenty of room to find their own spot.

 

[LizzzyJo]

If the broody hen doesn't have enough room to really distance herself from the others I would really recommend segregating them somehow. There are just so many complications that can come up otherwise. Squabbles over nest boxes, ending up in the wrong nest box, possible issues with the chicks and other hens, it goes on and on.

I put a large dog crate out in the run, use a milk crate as a nest and have the feeders and waterers in there. Everybody is still close to each other but there are no troubles at all. The chicks can squeeze through the crate if you don't secure it further but depending on the behavior of the other hens that may be fine.

It's a real bummer for the hen to invest so much time and sacrifice their health only for them to end up sitting in the wrong nesting box one night and then it's all kaput, or for competition for nesting boxes raising tensions and causing problems. I've noticed my roosters pick up on this and start doing odd things as well which can be really problematic. Best just to give the broody their own area and keep things simple, again only if they don't have plenty of room to find their own spot.

These are all good points and definitely something I’m considering. At what point in the process would you move her? I’m worried about breaking her. It’s her first time. And mine. Lol. It’s our first time

 

[Tre3hugger]

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

This is similiar to what I did. In a couple days baby was jumping out of the best and couldn't get back in. Mama wasn't going to abandon the nest for the one baby that fell. Check out this thread.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-with-mixed-age-flock-at-10-days-old.1387348/

 

[jolenesdad]

I agree with @aart you may not really have enough space....

What’s your free ranging situation? 3-4 hours a day? Have you lost any birds to free ranging? If so, you WILL lose babies, so I just want to throw that out there since you mention the expense of the eggs...

You may lose them even if you haven’t lost birds before. I only give fairly cheap eggs and birds to my broodies. Just two days ago a hawk went INTO my coop and ate all of my broody’s babies.

 

[jolenesdad]

These are all good points and definitely something I’m considering. At what point in the process would you move her? I’m worried about breaking her. It’s her first time. And mine. Lol. It’s our first time

Early as you can on ceramic eggs. That way she can pace around and be stressed for a bit until she settles back down and won’t break your incubating eggs.

 

[dfalco]

I’ve allowed several broodys to hatch their eggs and raise their young while fully integrated, over the past few years. Our Oklahoma heat is the thing I have to watch out for. My broody hens will sit on that nest until they die. I was told they would get themselves up for water. I’ve tried putting water and feed beside them. This doesn’t work. So my routine, while being more work than usual, is as follows:

My chickens are truly free range, as they wander over about 10 of the acres closest to their very secure coop and pen. They are closed into the coop each night against predators. The broody hen selects her spot, usually in a laying box. The other hens seem to naturally just leave her alone. They lay in other boxes. Every afternoon, during the hottest part of the day, I go get the broody hen off her nest. I literally pick her up, gently, and carry her out into the yard near a waterer, and sit her on the ground. It takes her several minutes for her to fully wake up, then she shoots off like a bullet. She eats and gets water, then returns to her nest. Twice she was confused and set on a different laying box. I watch for this, and simply pick her up and move her to the correct box.
All my Mama Hens have raised their young, cooping, in the main coop, along with the rest of the flock. Thefree range, with the Mama Hen, who keeps them near the coop and separate from the rest for a couple weeks, gradually ranging farther and they slowly integrate to roosting right alongside the rest of the flock.
For me, this has been a very successful way of raising chicks.

But if we want to talk about the greatest percentage of adult hens being produced from eggs, I must admit that raising purchased chicks in a brooder, then keeping them enclosed until mature, and only then integrating and free ranging, has a higher percentage of chicks to maturity. And maybe I don’t know how to do it, but I’ve never raised a brood of chicks and had 100% live for a year. There are always a few losses. And throughout the year, free ranging causes a loss of, on average, 1-2 hens per year. I lose another 1-2 per year to health related issues. I keep an average of 20-24 chickens, for perspective.

Personally, I enjoy both ways of raising chicks. And I’ve never separated the Mama Hen from her flock. Wouldn’t have even considered it, as those are her peeps, and mamas need their peeps at a time like this. My personal opinion.

 

[LizzzyJo]

I agree with @aart you may not really have enough space....

What’s your free ranging situation? 3-4 hours a day? Have you lost any birds to free ranging? If so, you WILL lose babies, so I just want to throw that out there since you mention the expense of the eggs...

You may lose them even if you haven’t lost birds before. I only give fairly cheap eggs and birds to my broodies. Just two days ago a hawk went INTO my coop and ate all of my broody’s babies.

I agree about the space. I’m not keeping these past started pullets or cockerels. I have only lost one and that was a when my LGD was sick. I can keep the babies in the run. They don’t have to free range. That’s a great point. It was $30 for 6 jubilee Orpington eggs which I see as expensive but others may not. I suppose I can put up chicken wire halfway up the run door to keep babies in.