POLL - help me choose - CLOSED POLL - I chose to move her to the large coop for now

[bobbieschicks]

My pullet has gone broody and I haven't any experience with this. Help me decide which is a safer and better environment for the pullet to hatch her clutch of eggs. I look forward to your responses.




The Little Brown Coop: it's flimsily made and it leaks into the nest box area when it rains. I could possibly put tape over the crack to help reduce that problem. I don't like that it's away from the rest of the flock and it doesn't feel as secure to me. It is inside the secure run, but not the secure coop. I got this coop for this purpose, but I feel like it's not secure enough and the cracks under the nest box could let in snakes. With warm weather lately - that is a real concern. I am also not liking that she's on the ground level over top of sandy soil. Also I'm not sure I like that it isolates her from the rest of the flock - but maybe broody's prefer that? I put her in it earlier today and that's when I found out it leaks.




The Storage Side of Larger Coop: I've used it before to brood new chicks and I can easily attach a heat lamp if I need to. Right now there is a set of tent lights strung up and wired through this side. I like that it's attached to the coop and lockable. I feel it is more secure solution. The problem is that we have eggs in the incubator from her hatchmate that passed away 3 weeks ago - those eggs are about to hatch if they hatch I will be brooding them inside for 4 weeks - so in 4 weeks I may need this area for chicks - although probably not since we don't see much happening in the eggs and today is lockdown It's clean and ready for chicks or broody pullets. It's separated from the larger area with 1/4" hardware cloth below and 1" poultry netting over head.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Well I only keep my broody hens away from the flock for a couple of weeks, and then put them on the floor of the coop in a covered kitty litter box or nest box on the floor. So if it were me I'd just use the chick area and at 4 weeks (or two if it were me) move her to the coop. The only reason I said the chick brooder is that you are afraid of snakes and I don't have experience with snakes in a coop. You could wrap the underside of the nestbox with hardware cloth.

If she is a good mama she'll protect the chicks. Well it is a risk, but I like it because then when she backs off at 6 weeks they are accepted into the flock at an incredibly young age. Downside is they might be killed if she doesn't protect them.

The broody hen still needs to get off the nest once a day or so to stretch her legs, eat and drink, and poo. She will need a little fenced area to take her babies outside and do the broody poo. She won't like pooing in her coop as that is her nest.

 

[bobbieschicks]

I just didn't feel like the little coop was safe enough the way it is. I want to add some hardware cloth to the bottom of it so nothing can slither or crawl into it through the huge gap between the nest box and clean out tray. I will probably have to cover the entire bottom for me to feel safe about it. Also until I fix the roof leaking - I didn't like that it leaked right into the nest box area where she was sitting.

So I moved her & her straw nest with eggs over to the storage area with her water & food. I had put her down on the run floor after locking everyone else out so she could get some food & water & drop a HUGE LOAD OF STINKY POOP! I know I will sleep better knowing she's safe in the larger coop. I'll work on the little coop for the next time she goes broody. Or one of those Lavender Orpingtons or Silkies decides to go broody. Maybe I made some poor choices for layers?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I just didn't feel like the little coop was safe enough the way it is. I want to add some hardware cloth to the bottom of it so nothing can slither or crawl into it through the huge gap between the nest box and clean out tray. I will probably have to cover the entire bottom for me to feel safe about it. Also until I fix the roof leaking - I didn't like that it leaked right into the nest box area where she was sitting.

So I moved her & her straw nest with eggs over to the storage area with her water & food. I had put her down on the run floor after locking everyone else out so she could get some food & water & drop a HUGE LOAD OF STINKY POOP! I know I will sleep better knowing she's safe in the larger coop. I'll work on the little coop for the next time she goes broody. Or one of those Lavender Orpingtons or Silkies decides to go broody. Maybe I made some poor choices for layers?

Orpingtons are great! That is what we switched back to. Silkies are nice too. It is handy having broody hens around.