gettinaclue
Almost Self-Reliant
...Wishing I had chickens.
I'm all kinds of jealous.
I'm all kinds of jealous.
The great broody experiment (new pics p 18)
- Thread starter freemotion
- Start date
MorelCabin
Quilting Extraordinaire
I've done this Bee, and as broodies everything is fine, until they have chicks, then they are very mean to the others chicks and will kill them if not seperated.Beekissed said:Did you move her in the middle of the night? I now have a broody pen(not very big) in which I moved my last broody. I moved her in the middle of the night by covering her with a towel, putting her on the eggs in the new nest and then I covered the hole thing(a dog house) with a blanket. When I went out next morning about midmorning, she was very settled into her new home. I don't know how well it would have worked if she had been in the coop still.
Now, I'm going to try to establish three nest boxes in the broody pen and see if the mama and current babies will co-exist with two more broodies. Anyone ever try this?
Beekissed
Mountain Sage
I'm figuring that, by the time these eggs hatch, the mama and chicks I have now will be out in the big coop. This leaves the two broodies I ensconced tonight. I have a movable compost bin built out of chicken wire on a wooden frame....this ought to make a good separation pen for one hen and chicks, and the other can stay in the broody pen.
I have two broodies moved to nests in the broody pen tonight and they are each on four eggs that were layed today. I will add to these tomorrow in hopes of placing the breeds I want under them. I dearly hope this works....I put ACV in all the water yesterday and hope I can see a difference in the number of female chicks that are hatched. Its certainly worth a shot, huh?
If everything goes right...these eggs will hatch around my birthday~Earth Day~which is appropo, ya think?
I have two broodies moved to nests in the broody pen tonight and they are each on four eggs that were layed today. I will add to these tomorrow in hopes of placing the breeds I want under them. I dearly hope this works....I put ACV in all the water yesterday and hope I can see a difference in the number of female chicks that are hatched. Its certainly worth a shot, huh?
If everything goes right...these eggs will hatch around my birthday~Earth Day~which is appropo, ya think?
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- #15
freemotion
Food Guru
I'm going out to check now. I hope so, because I really want to experiment with canning chicken!!Tallman said:Has he landed yet?freemotion said:
Beekissed
Mountain Sage
Free, one broody decided she wasn't so serious after all when I provided the eggs and her own nest. But....when I released her to the general public, she went right back in on the nests! 
The other broody seems pretty content to stay on the nest I provided, even though she has to brave the mama hen when she comes off to eat and drink. I marked her eggs, so I'll see if she lays any of her own or just likes appropriating other girl's eggs.
The other broody seems pretty content to stay on the nest I provided, even though she has to brave the mama hen when she comes off to eat and drink. I marked her eggs, so I'll see if she lays any of her own or just likes appropriating other girl's eggs.
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- #17
freemotion
Food Guru
I have been leaving the eggs in the two favorite nests. There are rarely eggs elsewhere. I will go pick them all up tonight, assuming no one is sitting on them yet. No one was when I checked and locked the door an hour ago. Some are three days old.
I will let them pile up again for the next three days and see what happens!
I will let them pile up again for the next three days and see what happens!
- Thread starter
- #18
freemotion
Food Guru
Just picked up 21 from the floor nest and 14 from the favorite nest box. Then I milked Mya and there, in the corner where Liam used to sleep under the heat lamp (I put a scrap of plywood diagonally in the corner so no one could touch the lamp or the cord, low enough for the baby to get underneath and into his nest in the corner) was a perfect nest with one blue egg in it. That is definitely Blue-blue, who has been trying to hide her eggs in the hay storage area and in the hay rack. I will leave it and see if Mya breaks it, I don't think she can, and will start stocking that nest. It will make a perfect broody spot, I can put up a couple more boards and she will be safe and sound with gentle Mya.
We will see!
We will see!
keljonma
Epicurean Goddess
Wow! You were lucky, Morel! When our Jersey Black Giant and our Gold Laced Wyandotte were broody at the same time, they did not get along when they were just sitting on eggs in separate nests!MorelCabin said:I've done this Bee, and as broodies everything is fine, until they have chicks, then they are very mean to the others chicks and will kill them if not seperated.Beekissed said:Did you move her in the middle of the night? I now have a broody pen(not very big) in which I moved my last broody. I moved her in the middle of the night by covering her with a towel, putting her on the eggs in the new nest and then I covered the hole thing(a dog house) with a blanket. When I went out next morning about midmorning, she was very settled into her new home. I don't know how well it would have worked if she had been in the coop still.
Now, I'm going to try to establish three nest boxes in the broody pen and see if the mama and current babies will co-exist with two more broodies. Anyone ever try this?
me&thegals
A Major Squash & Pumpkin Lover
My big fluffy butt buff Orpington is still sitting. I snuck into the coop Mon night with a flashlight and transferred her off the nest, took all 12 eggs and put them in a cardboard box broody nest, then stuck her in the new nest and moved her to the next barn room over. She's alone in there with food and water and that wonderful gal is still sitting!
I would just love to have a real momma hen raising her own chicks. PLEASE don't let any of ours be like the one I read about recently on BYC who ate all her chicks. I want to see some adorable chicks peeking out from under momma's wings
edited for spelling and grammar (sorry 'bout that, Dacjohns )
I snuck into the coop Mon night with a flashlight and transferred her off the nest, took all 12 eggs and put them in a cardboard box broody nest, then stuck her in the new nest and moved her to the next barn room over. She's alone in there with food and water and that wonderful gal is still sitting!I would just love to have a real momma hen raising her own chicks. PLEASE don't let any of ours be like the one I read about recently on BYC who ate all her chicks. I want to see some adorable chicks peeking out from under momma's wings
edited for spelling and grammar (sorry 'bout that, Dacjohns
)
