I have a 5 and 1/2 month old buff orpington who has already gone broody on me. I mean, she and her cohort group barely started laying eggs and she decided she wants to hatch some of them.
We do have a roo, and he's had his way with her and the other four pullets, so it IS possible that these eggs could be fertilized and make it, though they are so small I am not sure about it.
She has about maybe six eggs or so in her clutch, and she's been sitting on them for well over a week. We have an older hen that the roo has also mated, so we took a few of her eggs and gave them to Ms. Broody to sit on. I mean, if she is really serious about hatching a few chicklets, well, we thought we'd give her a few that might actually make it.
Anyway, we figure on putting her in a large dog cage with her babies if any make it, and putting the dog cage in the henhouse. We're afraid of the little chicks being hurt if we don't separate her somehow.
But would it be better for us to bring the dog cage into the house, where temperatures would be better regulated?
When we just had chicks and no hen to mother them, we put them in a temperature regulated brooder.
How will Ms. Broody keep the little chicks warm if it gets cold at nights in the hen house?
I guess that is why I was wondering if I should bring her and the little chicks inside.
What do you all think?
We do have a roo, and he's had his way with her and the other four pullets, so it IS possible that these eggs could be fertilized and make it, though they are so small I am not sure about it.
She has about maybe six eggs or so in her clutch, and she's been sitting on them for well over a week. We have an older hen that the roo has also mated, so we took a few of her eggs and gave them to Ms. Broody to sit on. I mean, if she is really serious about hatching a few chicklets, well, we thought we'd give her a few that might actually make it.
Anyway, we figure on putting her in a large dog cage with her babies if any make it, and putting the dog cage in the henhouse. We're afraid of the little chicks being hurt if we don't separate her somehow.
But would it be better for us to bring the dog cage into the house, where temperatures would be better regulated?
When we just had chicks and no hen to mother them, we put them in a temperature regulated brooder.
How will Ms. Broody keep the little chicks warm if it gets cold at nights in the hen house?
I guess that is why I was wondering if I should bring her and the little chicks inside.
What do you all think?