The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[TeaChick]

A question about broody hens, etc.

I'm expecting my JG (b/c she went broody two or three times last year for her previous owner) to go broody and my Cochin (unless someone corrects me about her going broody b/c of being Bantam or Frizzled, I can't imagine the Frizzled meaning she won't, anyway... I digress). So, I think I have a hatching capacity of at least a dozen and a half eggs; although, I intend to let them do whatever they want at least for their first brood.

Anyway, I've heard horror stories of hens getting pecked to death on the nest, other hens pecking a broody off the nest and then eating the chicks out of the shells, etc.
So, the general advice seems to be to remove a broody from the flock, etc. And that moving the nest, eggs, hen, and all at the same time after roost time, etc. is best.
So, I wanted to put something in the nesting corner and/or under the nesting material so I can do that.

But, before I go upsetting my nesting situation, I wanted to ask what all of you do?
Move them?
Leave them?

And any and all advice, suggestions, info, experience, etc. would be more than welcome. I know nothing; I've never done this before.

Thanks! =)

 

[Scott H]

I think it would depend on the temperament of your chickens and the broody.I wouldn't worry about that with our chickens because they are generally pretty laid back.

 

[Scott H]

Quote: Yeah, I was hoping to get by with one but when Tina was always in it there was too much drama....

 

[Mrs. K]

When I had my first, I took the advice to move her, did so, sat for 10 days and moved back to the nest she liked. Ugh, lost that clutch. Went to town and got new chicks and put them under her, and she raised them in the flock with no introduction issues, convinced me that nothing was more fun than a hen with chicks, and being the brooder is much better left to being a hen.

I have nest boxes that really only permit one hen at a time. And every time I have had a broody hen, she was the meanest thing in the coop.....even if she had been quite docile before that. So I just leave them alone.... and so do the layers. I don't get her off her nest, but I don't lock her on a nest either. Most of the time, I just leave them alone and see what happens.

If you catch her off the nest, that is a good time to mark the eggs. One really does not want new eggs being added, as that will cause you to lose most of the clutch. If that is a problem, I would leave the broody, and put nesting boxes outside the coop in the run and make the layers lay there. You might have to lock them out for a few days till they will use the other nests. A lot of people candle the eggs, which is not a bad idea, but you have to bother the hen to do so, and I don't do that.

In my experience, and I have had 5 hens raise clutches in the flock, I get one a year, the most DANGERous time is day 20. What can happen is that some eggs will hatch a couple of hours ahead of the other chicks. They get dried off, and go out to see the world. The broody hen is still trying to get the rest to hatch, and the layers will kill the new chick. So again, maybe even on day 19, I lock the layers out of the coup. Now this always happens to me in May/June so the weather is not a problem. I always have roosts in my run and in my coop, so that is not a problem. Once all the eggs have hatched that are going to hatch (don't try and peek, that upsets the hen) then the broody hen will stand guard over her chicks.

In my experience, my hen always leaves the hatching nest, and builds a new clean one on the floor of the coop. When the chicks are just a week-10 days old, I make sure that there is a wide board a couple of feet off the ground, so that mama and chicks can roost, and still get under mama if needed. The urge to roost is a strong one, and can cause the hen to leave the chicks, if you don't provide this board.

When with the flock, they will be a separate unit. The broody hen will position herself between the layers and the chicks. The chicks learn quickly to stay near mama and away from the layers. The layers may give them a peck, but mama will take their heads off, and they quickly back down. When the chicks are less than 4 weeks old, they are part of the flock (althoughbeit, a submissive part) and the layers pretty much ignore them.

I will always keep a few breeds that are broody breeds, because I love to have chicks this way. Now, you need to realize, that you might not get those perfect hatching rates, and there maybe some chicks that don't thrive, but if you leave it alone, the chicks that do live, will be athletic, healthy, and energetic chicks and hens. My mama bird brings them out of the coop within 2 days, and they are out climbing over grass and sticks, eating bugs at that time.

Mrs K

 

[Debstar1204]

I need some help please- I currently have 21 baby chicks oldest a week old. They are locked up inside a pen ( wooden house) every night and I open door to a run every morning so mum can take them out and scratch etc. the last 2 mornings I have found 1 chick with its insides coming out!! Like something has had a go at it I'm stumped as to how this can happen when they are locked up. Has anyone else heard of this? I don't want to loose anymore, what could it be, rats????
I saw 2 tiny holes under the edge of the coop, which I have now blocked off. It wouldn't be mum or other chicks doing this would it??

Thank you

 

[Scott H]

Yes it could be a rat. I don't know your Australian predators very well but rats will kill and eat eggs!

 

[Debstar1204]

Thanks Scott- I find it strange that only 1 chick per night is getting attacked. Being night time would mum still protect them? If they are all under mum how does the stupid rat get them and only the 1 I'm not happy about it, list 2 so far- poor things. I guess now I've fixed holes I wait til tomorrow morning and hope they are all ok...
Thank you.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

my first thought was a snake.

 

[Scott H]

my first thought was a snake. 

Snakes eat prey whole. .. never would they pull guts out. .. very tidy eaters.

 

[fosterson]

Yes LM your right sorry. My tots go in first to roost to avoid being pecked and to get their prime spot. Thankfully when they all decide to stay inside all day they don't fight much that I can tell. I just went in to check for eggs and the girls dug a crater in the DL. Apparently they approved of me turning it all up

My poor bigger hens have been stuck inside their coop due to the way the winds are blowing and their bigger (and more frostbite prone) combs...so they've decided to dig to China for funzies. I measured tonight...had a 15 inch deep hole in the very MIDDLE of the DL, and it was probably 3 inches into the dirt floor too...

bored chickens. No good can come of this!