Post Pics of your Brooding Pens please!

[Bleenie]

I have 2 little hens that went broody and i KNOW i will need to seperate for them to hatch eggs. I'd just like some ideas of what to do for a brooding pen(s) for them.

anyone know if a dog crate would work? (XL plastic shipping crate)

please post pics!

 

[dappertophatter]

Yup. That'd be fine- just make sure you have enough room in there for a). feed and water bowls/dishes/whatever you use, b). some kind of box with nesting material, and c). enough room for her to hop off the nest and stretch without bumping into anything.

My broody cage looks like this http://www.elawngarden.com/little-giant-agri-products-little-giant-wire-pop8722up-homes-p-5578.html but longer and flatter.

 

[Kittymomma]

This was posted on the Washingtonians thread, I thought that it would make a great broody/grow out pen when I saw it. The dog crate should work too as long as the hen can get off the nest to eat/drink and have big nasty broody poos without getting them in the nest.

Saw this coop on CL: http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/grd/1531948664.html

VERY NICE BIRD RUN/COOP! - $150 (Gig Harbor)
Date: 2009-12-31, 10:21AM PST
Reply to: [email protected] [Errors when replying to ads?]


Very nice bird run/coop! Very secure, sturdy, and well built! Paid $400.....asking $150. Our loss is your gain! Has roosting area, two separate laying areas, a ramp, and an outdoor area for walking around. Minor scratches from our silly dog. ( the dog couldn't get the birds) Will deliver within reason. Fully assembled! Please call or email with any questions. 360-485-9979 ask for Jon

Thanks for looking!






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[Bleenie]

This is the type & size of the crate I have & was thinking of using. I was going to attach a couple plastic dishes to the door with zip ties for her food & water.

Someone is going to make me a wooden box for her to nest in also.

 

[Kittymomma]

That should work. It's the same size as the one I use for a hospital crate/chicken jail. She won't have much room to stretch her legs though so you may want to take her out for 5-10 minutes a day and let her walk the circulation back into her legs. Some broodies want to get up and stretch, others won't even come off the nest to eat so you'll have to play it by ear. If you're going to have it inside be aware that broody droppings are NASTY! You're going to want to use bedding that is easy to clean up since you'll want to get it out as soon as she's made her deposit.

Edit to add: move her at night and keep the nest as close to the same as possible. If you can just put the nest she's using into the crate as is. Anytime you move them you run the risk of breaking them from being broody, but doing it while their sleeping gives you your best chance.

 

[Bleenie]

She will have a nesting box in the crate. She's been awesome so far, for the past week i have been picking her up & moving her to collect the new eggs from the other hens. She is DEAD SET on staying in the box, everytime i've seen her shes just sitting there, all puffed out for her eggs and sleeping.

Thanks for the help. I've had broodies before but with my "new" rooster (EE) i knew it was going to be different... He's hot for my partridge cochin hen and i've caught him yanking her off the nest a couple times already. she will have to be moved later on also since she's broody too.

The little blue's going to do so good, i just know it

ETA: I think I am going to set her up on the porch and see how she does, that way she will have the front yard to herself and I know that i can leave the crate open for a while and let her walk around and she'll be safe.

 

[speckledhen]

Dog crates work well as long as they don't have open bars where chicks can slip through. We have two permanently built broody pens. This is the latest one, in the storage area of the BR coop:

 

[Bleenie]

Thank you speckledhen, I really like that set up, I might have to build something like that later on for the girls.

 

[speckledhen]

Forgot to say that the entire thing is put together with screws, so it can be disassembled if need be.

 

[minister man]

I know that this is an old post and maybe the people involved aren't even on here anymore, but I have to take that Chance. I am looking for a way to set up hatching and brooding with silkies. Speckledhen, I love those little pens that you have for your broody hens. I am wondering how large they are? I am guessing that they don't raise their chicks in those cages, so I was wondering what you move them into to brood?