Use large dog kennel as a broody box?

[mtsmylie]

One of our 1-year old Plymouth barred Rock hens has gone broody, and we just received 12 fertile hatching eggs we plan on sticking under her. I've been reading about "Broody Boxes" to keep her contained/isolated, and was wondering if anyone has ever used a large plastic dog kennel like

as a broody box.

Obviously, we would create a nest in the back, line the floor with straw, and provide food and water bowls, which should provide a decent amount of space for her. Can anyone think of a reason this wouldn't work? Would closing the door unless we were out there watching be a good or bad idea?

 

[justtoni44]

HI and ..............

I use a variety of things including cardboard boxes.( which mine love)
The kennel is perfect.

 

[CamillaRules]

Wow, I think that's a brilliant idea. May I steal it when I need to?

Actually my current dog crate, which is for my Newfoundland, is now being used as a small coop for my neighbor's Auracana's until they're big enough to move in with the older hens. Any port in a storm....

I might add you can get water and food dishes that will hitch on the side of a crate, so your hen doesn't spill it all over. Good luck! I love it!

 

[cashdl]

I use dog crates for all types of chicken needs. Broody boxs, grow out coops for small numbers of chicks ( I have 7- 4 week old chicks in 1 right now), injured chicken wards, sick chicken wards, and so on. Just remember disinfect between uses.

Lanae

 

[Cackling Hen]

I use that exact crate for all my broodies Works perfect Good luck and welsome to BYC

 

[TripTrapMtnHomestead]

we used one just like that for our broody hen after her eggs hatched. it worked like a charm.

i set another up today for our incubator chicks to move into saturday (hopefully!)

good luck!

here's the only picture i have... they never went in the cardboard box so i ended up taking it out and just added a little more hay. she made her own little nest.

 

[NHchicks]

I used a large Pet Mate dog crate to house my broody and her chicks. Problem is, I have another broody with chicks too, and she has a hay nest in the coop that I keep wired away from everyone else for the night. Well, that hen has decided she likes the dog crate apartment better, and gets to the dog crate first at night, so that the hen and chicks who are supposed to be sleeping in there go to bed and find a growling hen with her chicks already in there.

Last night I was able to entice the hen out of the crate with food, then closed the door so she went back to the nest in the coop. But tonight there was no getting her out of there, and the other hen and her chicks ended up going in there too, and the 2 mothers are spazzing at each other, and I saw one mother peck the other hen's chick, but there's really no way of getting any of them out of there after they decide that's home. So tonight they'll all sleep together, and tomorrow night I'll be more careful to keep doors closed until hens go to their right coops.

What a hassle! I don't think I'll do 2 hatches at the same time again.

 

[jeepchick]

I have this exact thing going on in my house right now! Had 2 Japanese bantams go broody and had a huge stockpile of eggs that the 2 of them were trying to keep warm....took the out and one girl went in a large plastic crate in one room and the other girl went in a crate in another room. I put shavings in the bottom and a milk crate tipped on its side in the back with a straw nest inside the milkcrate for her nest and she seems content in there...plenty of room for her nest, food and water and a little stretching room should she feel the need. These are my first broody hens and I figured it would be a safe way to keep them.....So far so good

 

[mtsmylie]

I set up the Broody Box on Wednesday afternoon, and put our broody hen in there that night on top of some golf balls. When I got home last night, she seemed to really be enjoying herself in there, so we pulled out the golf balls and replaced them with the 12 fertile hatching eggs. Can't wait to see what happens in 20 days!

Follow-up question: Yesterday was the first day our broody hen hasn't produced an egg. Does that mean she's gone into full-on broody mode?