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Chicken keepers

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Original poster

I have a broody hen in my broody house!

40 replies

brambleschooks · 01/04/2011 13:23

my lovely cochin is, I hope, going to be a first time mum. She has been sat on non fertiles in my eglu and will have fertile eggs placed under her tomorrow night. I am v excited!

Any advice from you experienced ones? Especially if you've hatched in an eglu as I'll need to convert it so it's suitable for chicks.

OP posts:

Oakmaiden · 01/04/2011 15:34

How many hens do you have in your eglu?

When I let my broody Sussex sit I moved her into a separate henhouse - from which she emerged only to eat and poo.

Original poster

brambleschooks · 01/04/2011 17:37

Just the broody in the eglu classic and 6 more who live in the cube but fr all day. Am very excited about picking up the fertiles tomorrow!
The broody has sat tight, apart from eat, drink, poo - I have to shift that poo in a bit. Boak!

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Oakmaiden · 01/04/2011 19:48

I would have thought that that should be fine then. I don't have an eglu though - but I assume it has nesting boxes for her to smuggle into?

What are you putting under her? I put Sassos under mine, and we ate them :) cos I already had 7 of mine and 6 of my mums, so didn't want any more to "keep".

Original poster

brambleschooks · 01/04/2011 20:33

I'm putting silver laced and barred Wyandotte bantams. A friend of mine breeds them so we're having the fun of the experience, then they will go back to her farm. I may wish to keep a couple of girls but will have to keep them separate from the large fowl, I'm told.

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Oakmaiden · 01/04/2011 20:37

Have fun with them then! My children were socked at how quickly they stopped being fluffy little chicks!

Original poster

brambleschooks · 01/04/2011 22:09

Very excited! ~Still, got 21 days to go from setting the eggs, so will have to contain the excitement.

OP posts:

saltyseadog · 02/04/2011 09:18

Oooh how exciting! We hatched some chicks under a broody last year - it was lovely. What has not been so lovely this week is having to part with the cockerel that we hatched due to a neighbour's complaint (we couldn't be more rural FGS ), but you have the wonderful option of returning the boys.

Keep us posted :)

Original poster

brambleschooks · 02/04/2011 10:56

Off to the wilds of wales to collect the eggs!

OP posts:

AintMissBeehiving · 02/04/2011 19:55

I hatch about 150 eggs a year, mostly in incubators (they're more reliable with my own breed) but do use broodies.

Lift her off the nest twice a day for food and water.
Leave her alone once they start hatching.
Don't expect them to hatch all at the same time.
Make sure the chicks can't drown in the drinker.
Use a chick crumb with an anti coccidistat in.
Give her a good dusting of anti mite powder before she starts sitting.

I also rest my hatching eggs for 24 hours, but there isn't any evidence that it improves fertlity. I also will try to boost humidity around day 19 to encourage better hatch rates by watering around the house if I use a broody as I live in a dry area.

I don't have any experience of eglus but just make sure that the chicks can get over the lip of the house (back inside) the first couple of days, otherwise they get cold/wet and die.

Good luck Wyandottes are lovely

Original poster

brambleschooks · 02/04/2011 22:43

They're under her now, but have had 8 hours or so to rest.
I've changed the straw to aubiiose, but didn't dust her as I wondered if the lice powder might affect the eggs. Should I dust her bum another day when I lift her for food? She's got a ramekin of water with oats in in front of her beak, which she seems to be going at, so I'll refresh that twice a day. I've got a chick drinker for when they hatch, but will put her water higher so they can't get in.
Will put a ramp for them to get up the little step, thanks for anti coccidosis tip, our feed store has some coming in and once I know we've got fertiles I'll buy some.
The broody is having oats soaked in water to eat and is taken off the nest each evening and has layers pellets. Should I change her feed? I've put a Tonic in her water.

OP posts:

AintMissBeehiving · 03/04/2011 07:22

Sounds great No need to change her feed. They all lose weight when they're broody. Are you going to candle the eggs?

Original poster

brambleschooks · 03/04/2011 11:51

Thanks. I plan to candle on day 7, is that about right? I'm counting today as day 1 since they were set last night. She's doing well considering that she's had a change of nest box material and 12 bantam eggs put under her.

OP posts:

beachyhead · 03/04/2011 22:41

Ok, can I join in too... we put 6 fertilised eggs under our broody hen on Sat about 4pm. She won't leave the box. She is islolated in one hen house which has a small run attached. We have fresh water and feed in the run bit. We are first time 'breeders' so a bit lost... shall we physically take her off the eggs twice a day to make her eat and drink and what is candling? please help.....

AintMissBeehiving · 04/04/2011 07:22

Candling day 7 is fine. Day 10 is a bit easier! beachy - it's using a strong light "a candler" to see into the egg and see if they are fertilised, then you remove the eggs that aren't.

beachy - lift her off otherwise sometimes they won't get off - if she's doing it herself then no need.

Original poster

brambleschooks · 04/04/2011 07:23

Let's hold hands! I haven't moved my hen off t he nest yet and shes been sat tight since Saturday night. However, I do put mixed grain in front of her and water and the grain has needed topping up regularly. I have found a use for ramekins!

If there is no evidence of poo in the run after work I may hoick her off for a rest break!

I'm also a first timer, can you tell?,!

OP posts:

AintMissBeehiving · 04/04/2011 07:50

The first time is worse than having a baby . I fussed around the eggs like broody hen myself!

beachyhead · 04/04/2011 08:32

My husband tried to take her off this morning and she went nuts.....he keeps telling me she's just like every other woman . I'll put some water and grain up with her....all you can hear echoing across the garden is 'Leave Megan alone!!!!!!' to stop the kids peeking at her all the time. Can you just shine a torch at the eggs or is there a specific tool!? Stupid question I know but she won't actually lay any eggs at the moment, will she? Have visions of her rising up on ever increasing pile of eggs.....

beachyhead · 04/04/2011 14:56

So I've managed to turn her round so at least she can see the food and water I've placed in front of her - she doesn't look interested. And she had laid an egg, so there were 7 there. Luckily the chicken farmer had written on his so I could take her normal egg away. Will she carry on laying herself? So far, so good....

Original poster

brambleschooks · 04/04/2011 16:22

Hi all, my girl stopped laying after she started to sit. She did one egg on day one but that's it so far. I think she's got the hang of it. I tipped her off the nest as she hadn't been up yesterday and I was concerned she would soil the nest. I don't think I'll do it again, as she got really confused and tried to get out of the separate broody run and head back for her usual flock housing and nest box. I had to let her out, catch her and bung her in through the egg port. I don't mind doing this, but I'm away for a week next week and my husband and then neighbours will be caring for the chickens.

She has eaten and drunk the ramekins of oats/wheat and water I put in front of her, so I know that she's getting what she needs. Judging by the broody poo, she certainly wasn't dehydrated!

Not sure if she has moved or turned the eggs though, they seemed to be in the same positions that I'd placed under her. So I've marked them with a pencil so that I can see if she's turned them! Once they've had a seven and ten day candle I'll remove any that are definite nos, then that will leave fewer for her to keep warm and tucked under her.

Honestly, I see what you mean about us being worse than them!

OP posts:

AintMissBeehiving · 04/04/2011 19:49

Sounds good. You can make a basic homemade candler by putting a torch or a lamp inside a card board box and cutting a hole the size of a 5p in the side then holding the egg to the hole. It's not as good but it does work.

Original poster

brambleschooks · 07/04/2011 09:46

How's it going? I tipped her off again last night as she hadn't been off and she didn't go back again until I picked her up and put her back. ARgh! She really is a YTS broody. My concern is that we're having a few days away and I'm worried that she will naturally come off for a poo and not go back onto the eggs. I've got a few days to see what will happen and until then will keep the food and water in her house.

OP posts:

beachyhead · 07/04/2011 10:21

I locked my other hens out of the run yesterday afternoon and got her out and stood her next to the drink and food (she also has food and drink in her house). She just looked at me a bit barmy and then flapped and semi-flew off round the run, to much screams from my teenage dd!!! We scooped her up and put her in the house, but like yours, didn't seem that impressed at having the 'resume the position'...so like you, we stuffed her in via the lid on the nest box. I don't think she is eating or drinking anything though. I dripped some water on her beak yesterday which seemed to go well, but like you, I'm going away for the week and my husband and ds (10) are in charge. I haven't even mentioned candling as what two men could do with cardboard boxes, torches and 6 eggs doesn't bear thinking about! The other hens are very bemused and march around her house trying to get in (it is their normal laying place). I have visions of them with placards, like mini-pickets!!!! Megan did a poo yesterday but that's the first in the last few days..Good Luck, chicken friend

Original poster

brambleschooks · 07/04/2011 10:25

Yikes Beachy! Mine has ramekins of mixed corn and water within beak reach and she's been eating those. I only moved her because I didn't want her to poo in the nest.
My other hens are in a separate outdoor run area and when Mrs Doyle was wandering round in her demented state all lined up along the fencing. It looked like a zombie chicken attack, I'm not surprised Mrs D was upset!

OP posts:

beachyhead · 07/04/2011 12:25

Mine has the ramekins there too but its hard to tell if she is actually eating or drinking. They really haven't gone down much but not sure how to spoon feed a stroppy chicken......might get some meal worms or pasta in there. I tried rice yesterday, but that didn't appeal..

beachyhead · 07/04/2011 21:05

So, new news... tonight we decided to give Megan water using the Nurofen orange plastic dispenser and she took 10 syringes full of water. So she must have been thirsty. She then ate some pellet and corn, so we are back on the right track but this will be an assisted and managed pregnancy..... Luckily I'm going away for a week so dh, ds and dd2 are in charge.....

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