Show me your "broody" set up....please??!!

[Yard full o' rocks]

I may have a black rock hen going broody and I am FAR from prepared for this. I have 3 coops, but no way to isolate her by herself, into one of them. BTW - Each coop is 6ft x 8ft by 8ft tall so I have some room in there, I think

So, I'm forced with the situation of letting her brood in the coop with the rest of her flock. I'm thinking of building a small box in which I can isolate her within the coop itself. Have any of you done this? Is it ok for her to brood in the coop with the others if I can get her isolated and safe?

Can anyone give me any advise, pix, etc 'cause I have NO idea what I'm doing with a broody....I hatch plenty, but not the natural God given way.

Any and all help is greatly appreciated

Thanks

Scott

 

[Vanessabuffsnsilkies]

I moved my silkie out of her nest box into a little dog crate inside the coop. She was getting confused which box to go back into after her morning break. I kept the door almost shut so if she absolutely had to come out she could. She then would come out every morning for a break and then back in the little crate. So today is day 17 and I moved her and the eggs into a larger dog crate in the coop, one big enough to put a small food dish and chick waterer in. Hope that helps, this is my first experience with a broody hen as well. The nest boxes seemed to be really confusing to her...funny little chicken.

 

[clucky2]

Oh it's fun to set up a brooder. You can set it up in the coop and it'll work just fine if you keep a couple things in mind. ( My silkie just raised a brood of 5 in the run with the other big girls, and it went well. )

Wire dog pens work great for allowing chicks a way to go in and out of the spaces easily, should they need to scurry back to safey. If this isn't possible, your box idea would be fine too!

Make a little ramp to the nest box so they can get back up to mamma easily. She won't sacrafice the rest of the brood to go looking for a lost baby. ( But she will cluck a certain call for it to find her. )

Set up food and water close by, and out of reach of the others.

Mamma will want to keep everything very close for the first couple of days, then they venture out and start to explore.

Based on my experience and from what I've heard, the older hens don't bother them. They just give 'em a glance of passive interest. Mamma will protect her babies.

I wrote in with lots of questions of how to do this too, and it really is true.....mamma knows best!

It's interesting to find materials laying around that will make a brooder work out. Have fun!

 

[Happy Chooks]

Not that I've had a broody, but I just wired off an area in my coop for my integrated pullets to hide from the hens. Turns out they didn't need it, so if I get a broody, I'm ready. Anyway, I have the nest box area off the side of the coop, which is 36 inches high (with a flip up door to collect the eggs) and 6 ft long. Only have 7 laying in there, so I took out 1 of the 4 nesting boxes and wired the area in. I provided an access door (put duct tape around the edge so they wouldn't get hurt), but I kept the piece so I can zip tie it back on in case I ever get a broody. It has plenty of room for a nest, a little room to stretch and food/water.

I'd snap a picture for you, but it's pouring outside. Here is a picture of the outside of the coop though, showing the nest box area but it's got snow on it.