When do we isolate mother hen and her eggs?

[nana-of-5]

Good to know that Roos are good to help with the chicks. Mine is very protective of his hens!

Fun to watch!

I will be going into town tomorrow the feed store for feed and will be getting some wire. I have old lumber laying around, think I may just build something to corral the chicks and momma hen in with that. Thanks for all the great advice!

~~pat~~

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Be aware that not all roosters are good parents, but I've been fortunate that mine are. For the most part a roo has a vested interest in making sure that the chicks survive to adulthood. They are carrying on the blood line...and roo's aren't smart enough to figure out that the chicks aren't necessarily his.

 

[splady]

We moved her when we discovered that there were red mites in the nesting box she was using. Poor chicken.

Now she is in a cardboard box nest on the floor of a dog cage in the hen house. I put a cover over it so that it wasn't too bright in there and she's remained broody.

We've also put additional chicken wire around the dog cage as we know from our previous (brinsea incubator) chicks that they can get through the bars for the first couple of weeks.

I let her out for her constitutional this morning and then lifted her to where there was some grain I'd put out for her... and she's VERY light. Should I be worried?

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
They can lose quite a bit of weight while setting. If you know for a fact that she's not getting up at least once a day to eat, drink and poop I would do one of two things....

Force her off the nest once a day, during the hottest part of the day or place small containers of food and water where she can reach them without leaving the nest. I use the chick sized (quart) waterers and feeders to keep food and water in front of my broody. They'll come in handy when the chicks hatch and are ready to eat and drink. I offer the broody feed that has a higher fat content.

I read somewhere (I think Storey's Guide to Chickens) that the old time farmers would put a whole tobacco leaf under the hay in their broody nests to repel mites and lice. I imagine the tobacco from a crushed up cigarette serve the same purpose. I sprinkle the bottom of the broody crate with a good dusting of DE when I am preparing it. Don't know for sure it helps, but I've never had a problem with mites targeting my broody's nest.

 

[fishermans wife]

Just another perspective - I have hatched 3 sets of chicks under broodys the last 2 years, and #4 is due in a week and a half. They have always been in a regular nesting box (on the floor level) in the coop with the rest of the hens, and rooster. I have never lost a chick, and find the momma hen protects them very well. They stay with the flock, and I always keep a very close eye the first day or two, but have never had an issue. It is great to see how your sweet momma hen becomes a monster when anyone gets too close. This has made integration easier, and the whole process fairly worry free. Looks like you had good luck moving her - but maybe this will be helpful for someone else.