The Old Folks Home

[tjo804]

Quote:
You are right that would suck.
she is in one of those cheep tsc nest boxes that can just sit in the coop would she stop sitting if I moved her and the eggs with the nest to the grow out coop I have for my no momma chicks?
She would move from the back yard to the Garage since the coop was put on skids in the garage to get the silkies out of the rain until we got tarps for their dog run. that would put her far from the other Chickens but not out of ear shot of the Roos.
I just don't want to unhinge her so close to time for the hatch. She has been in that coop before so she knows it is safe.

 

[tjo804]

Quote:
Would it work if I just put the cover part of my litter box over her nest? It is a really small coop

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Although I have come to enjoy vacations with the Princess and family, for me the best part is coming home. When we bought this place, the 'old man' who owned it cried at the closing. As a 23 year old kid, I could not understand that. I now understand how you can love a home.

I once was told not to fall in love with real estate. It is hard though when you've done so much work on a property to achieve all your goals with it.

I have a broody sitting on eggs that are due Christmas day.
Should I separate them if they hatch, with Momma of course.
Or leave them? If I leave them should I change to flock feeder or Chick feed for all? I've never done in the coop chicks before and I didnt think she would stick it out when I let her keep the eggs. It's kind of exciting now.

Quote:

Would it work if I just put the cover part of my litter box over her nest? It is a really small coop

If you don't have much space, leave her with the flock. A setting hen will scare the bejesus out of another bird that threatens the chicks.
That is best because if you separate them and don't have quarters to grow out the chicks, when the mom weans them, she won't protect them from the rest of the flock.
Raising them together, the flock soon accepts them as members. That's the way chickens have done it for hundreds of thousands of years.

You can use all flock or starter feed. It won't hurt the other birds as long as you have a calcium source available in a separate container.

I tried the creep feeder thing once and had hens crawl on their belly to go in and eat the chicks' feed.
The other problem is that it won't prevent the chicks from eating layer feed.

 

[Bunnylady]

Quote: Oh, you're special, alright. Maybe even "extra special."

 

[sourland]

Oh, you're special, alright. Maybe even "extra special."

Why, thank you, I think.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

There are Olympics.

I tell the coop fairy she's special but the Olympics aren't everything.

 

[getaclue]

I'm so glad I stopped to get feed. My feed store is going to be closed tomorrow, until Monday.

 

[Alaskan]

@perchie.girl

just for you

my kid #4 (9 years old) is the narrator.

oops.... I can't load a video right from my computer... so no go.....

 

[tjo804]

Quote: Thank you

 

[NotAFarm]

Quote:
You are right that would suck.
she is in one of those cheep tsc nest boxes that can just sit in the coop would she stop sitting if I moved her and the eggs with the nest to the grow out coop I have for my no momma chicks?
She would move from the back yard to the Garage since the coop was put on skids in the garage to get the silkies out of the rain until we got tarps for their dog run. that would put her far from the other Chickens but not out of ear shot of the Roos.
I just don't want to unhinge her so close to time for the hatch. She has been in that coop before so she knows it is safe.
I wouldn't move her this close to hatch time.
Are any other hens using the nest? If so, she does not have "rank" to keep the other hens away and that could be bad for the hatching eggs/chicks. If this is the case, I'd put something around the nest to protect it. Having her "separate but within the main flock" is your best option.
If she "protects" the eggs from others laying in the nest, I wouldn't worry that she'll keep the others away from the chicks but having a day or two without the flock interfering would be best (if a hen has a choice, she finds an out of the way place to sit, hatch, and when the chicks know her "voice" and are able to get around well enough, will bring them to the flock).
I'll try and find a picture of my broody hen dog crate set-up.

I second the chick starter or flock raiser with supplemental calcium free choice.

Edited to add these pics:

Momma with chicks inside dog crate with 2 x 4(ish) openings in the grate. Cardboard all the way up in the back, along one entire side and a third of the other side and top above the back third, to provide "privacy"/safety and a cardboard "bumper" around the entire bottom to keep the newly hatched chicks from straying out in with flock.



Crate after momma has taken the chick out. There is a cardboard piece that goes in the front but has been removed when the door was opened.



The momma then moved to this "high tech" nest with the chicks when they were a bit older.