The Old Folks Home

[drumstick diva]

Perchie, I truly LOVE your new avatar. Is that Katie?

 

[bamadude]

@tjo804: I am not an expert on broodies. But I have read alot of sad and horrible storys on here.
Samantha (@hennible) had a broody hatch chicks and then eat them.
Imho: there are several variables.
I have had Marans cocks that would eat anything that moved. They would run broody brahmas off the nests and kick the eggs out.
I have also had a silkie henhat would not allow those same Marans near her nest. She was tougher than woodpecker lips.
I personally would put up a chicken wire partition for a little while if possible.

 

[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.
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.




This is the coop I could put her in.
She is not alone in the nest at least 3 new eggs daily that I take out.
the coop is in my garage because these prefabs were not built for the Texas sun.
It is still strudy enough and pred proof enough but we are keeping it out of the elements.
The Silkies (4) are in the larger of the grow up pens with 3 bantam cochins


This is the coop they are in now.
it is an old dog house on stilts inside a 8 X 10 Chain link Dog run wrapped with chicken wire.

I am reading articles and not just asking opinion but in all honesty I did not think she would take it this far. She is only 32 weeks old now. I had one bantam game hen try to brood once before and she was not successful.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

@tjo804 : I am not an expert on broodies. But I have read alot of sad and horrible storys on here.
Samantha (@hennible) had a broody hatch chicks and then eat them.
Imho: there are several variables.
I have had Marans cocks that would eat anything that moved. They would run broody brahmas off the nests and kick the eggs out.
I have also had a silkie henhat would not allow those same Marans near her nest. She was tougher than woodpecker lips.
I personally would put up a chicken wire partition for a little while if possible.

I'm not disagreeing with any of that.

I just want to say that chickens have been doing this for thousands of years - raising chicks in flocks and not in coops.


This may sound harsh but IMO if they can't protect their chicks from flock members, they probably shouldn't be reproducing their kind.

 

[perchie.girl]

Perchie, I truly LOVE your new avatar. Is that Katie?

No just a gif a friend sent me. But thats her look even down to the off kileter way she holds her ears.

 

[tjo804]

Quote:
I'm not really afraid of the other chickens in the coop they are all very gentle and easy going.
But the coop is small no room for food and water dishes I put those under the coop and it is 28 inches off the ground. It was never intended to be a chick home but when DH lost his job the plans on the breeder coop stopped.

 

[tjo804]

Also I did not know that chickens could carry eggs!
I thought the broodie tossed a bad egg when I opened it 3 days later there was a nice little silkie in there

I think I killed it with ignorance

and no worries I would not have said anything if I couldn't take the responses.

Seems I have done everything completely wrong from the get go here but like I said I thought she would break herself and be done quickly.
Then my Granddaugher got sick and I spent less time in Chicken thought

If any manage to hatch I think it will be a Christmas Miracle.

 

[chickadoodles]

Sour I think I would also agree with Princess as far as letting ducks in the room. I Don't let chickens in the house either unless they are chicks in a brooder. Sorry

 

[perchie.girl]

Also I did not know that chickens could carry eggs!
I thought the broodie tossed a bad egg when I opened it 3 days later there was a nice little silkie in there

I think I killed it with ignorance

and no worries I would not have said anything if I couldn't take the responses.

Seems I have done everything completely wrong from the get go here but like I said I thought she would break herself and be done quickly.
Then my Granddaugher got sick and I spent less time in Chicken thought

If any manage to hatch I think it will be a Christmas Miracle.

Hang in there what ever you do is a learning experience. Like ChickenCanoe said they been doing it for thousands of years. My broodies chose not to brood in the coop. they brooded outside underneath a rosemary bush. Only way I found out was hearing a growl come from the bush when I walked by.

There is a broody hatch along thread I used to belong to. Yep Broodies can steal eggs from other nests and add them to their own. they can also move the eggs on their own to a more preferred location.

Just leave her be and when you notice shes gone on lockdown. meaning not getting off the nest at all. Slip chicken wire cover over her and the space in front of her... YOu will only need to feed them in there a short time. Most broodies will move their chicks to a more convenient location as they get more mobile.

My hens had them little buggers out with the flock from the get go. though they were bantams and very fierce protectors. I have pictures some where of a sumatra hen with her wittle wittle ones out in the snow teach them chickony stuff. Momma hens will keep em warm when they need it.

deb

 

[bamadude]

I'm not disagreeing with any of that.

I just want to say that chickens have been doing this for thousands of years - raising chicks in flocks and not in coops.


This may sound harsh but IMO if they can't protect their chicks from flock members, they probably shouldn't be reproducing their kind.

You are probably right. But If these awesome penedesenca eggs of yours were under my broody instead of in my bator.....I would not take any chances. I would have Ft. Knox.
I would chance it with mixed breed eggs