Pecking Issue

[Ted Brown]

Make sure that this crate is in a predator proof area! You can have the hen, eggs, and/or chicks killed by a raccoon in this sized cage. happened here, years ago, awful!
Mary

It is inside the coop, safe.

 

[aart]

You are so practical!

<nods> and hates stinky broken egg messes.

 

[LaFleche]

View attachment 2232091View attachment 2232092

This cat carrier might be a little too narrow and I would suggest to use wood shavings at the bottom and then form a nicely rounded nest with some fresh hay to put the 5-7 nest eggs in.
If you want the hen to go broody AND stay on the nest AND have a successful hatch, you might want to dust the whole nesting material with DE to prevent mites or similar, which love to attack broodies on their nest. Dust the hen as well.

 

[aart]

If you want the hen to go broody AND stay on the nest AND have a successful hatch, you might want to dust the whole nesting material with DE to prevent mites or similar, which love to attack broodies on their nest. Dust the hen as well.

Yes, learned that with my first broody....they are 'sitting ducks' for parasite proliferation!
But DE will probably not do the trick, use permethrin dust.

 

[Folly's place]

Permethrin dust under the bedding in the broody coop works well.
Mary

 

[MotherOHens]

Hi Ted,
Being no expert, I can tell you my little flock become more disagreeable with each other when they can't get out and stretch their legs-- even though they have oodles of space in both the coop and the run.
I don't know if they are bored, they just like to explore, or they want to feel like they own the place!
I have about an acre that they
are able to 'chicken around' in and they are used to doing this at least twice a day.
When it rained pretty heavy here, they didn't want to go out-- but I could tell they had regrets by dusk!
Maybe it's the old 'idle hands' theory?
I can say mine definitely aggravate each other more if they can't 'chicken around' and burn up that boredom.

 

[Ted Brown]

10 of the flock have been outside 4 days in a row, Weekends I think I can get a whole day in, weekdays it is after 4-5pm for a few hours.

The 11th makes like she is broody but can't figure it out. I am trying to force her to decide at BIL suggestion start with a cat cage locked; @aart said do not lock and make Diana Berry decide. I left the gate unlocked today, when I let them out for free range she stayed inside in the unlocked cat cage. There are 3 real eggs (2 blue 1 chocolate) with her.

"Chicken around" time makes a whole bunch of sense to me.

 

[Ted Brown]

Yes, learned that with my first broody....they are 'sitting ducks' for parasite proliferation!
But DE will probably not do the trick, use permethrin dust.

I only have permethrin in liquid concentrate form; will spray work for the ladies?

 

[Folly's place]

Yes. Don't get spray on the eggs though.
Spray the cage, and the hen when she's out, if possible.
Mary

 

[aart]

Yes. Don't get spray on the eggs though.
Spray the cage, and the hen when she's out, if possible.
Mary

Yep, spray the bird, on her skin under the feathers, and under the bedding.