so i have this broody silkie . . .

[fallenweeble]

who is sitting on some eggs.
right now she is in the coop with the others and she is broody as all heck! i want to let her go ahead and hatch the eggs she is sitting on.
my question is . . . how and at what point do i need to separate her from the rest of the flock? when the chicks hatch the other chickens will try to peck at them etc. yes?

thanks!

 

[justusnak]

If possible, I would move her now...while she is in " the zone"

 

[airmom1c05]

So glad you asked that question. I don't have a broody yet, but I've been wondering the same thing.

 

[lurky]

I think most mothers will protect the chicks, But i put a rabbit cage in my coop and moved the mother and her eggs into it one week before they were due to hatch. I let her out in the am if she wanted when i was letting the others out. I chose a week early because it looked like one egg was way ahead of the others and i was afraid i miscalculated due day. So i personally did this cage thing because its still winter here in New England and i wanted to keep the babies in the planned area where i had the heat lamp lowered. Also if one went out the chicken door it would die in the cold. It is working great so far as 2 hatched yesterday and mother hen is content in there. I put a board on top because a few birds like to get on top of the cage and pooped on mother hen

 

[bantymum]

What breed are the others? are they silkies too?
It is best to give her some privacy where she wont be disturbed with her chicks at first, especially if it is her first brood.
My silkies always want to bunk in with the others after a week when the chicks start eating and drinking on their own so they all bunk in together then. It works really well, sometimes the chicks end up under the roo or an "auntie "silky in the box.
If you decide to make a small nursery, it doesnt have to be extravagant, just make sure its inside the main coop and nestled in the corner against a wall or whatever suits your coop.
You just run some chicken mesh or shadecloth/hession etc up one side and have the wall on the other so it looks like a narrow run then have the nestbox at the end and a little gate at the other end plus mesh over the top so bigger birds cant jump in and spoil the party.
I just moved my silky (box and all) into one of these runs and chicks are due on the weekend.
Good luck.