Do I have a broody hen??

[grubbysoles]

Good luck with the babies, Bonnie!

I have just come in from making a new little house for my broody hen. Red - you're completely right, the other hens have stopped laying now, so Speckles is being evicted come nightfall. I found a random idea when I did some googling - I've got the cat's travel box thing out of the shed and converted it into a new nestbox! (I doused it in red mite powder first). And I've put the whole box inside the run of the new henhouse - the new henhouse is enormous and doesn't have any proper nest boxes in it yet, so I'm going to put the cat-box in a dark corner and leave the front door of the cat-box open. The other hens can stay in their existing home for a while longer. Please let me know if this is a really bad idea - I'm new to all this.

I have decided against the fertilised eggs this time around. Maybe next year. I have my hands full with the baby & the pre-schooler right now and can't be doing with trying to find someone to dispatch my cockerels for me! Although, perhaps I could just put a post on gumtree and someone can come and take them for free for meat.

At what age do cockerels start getting really loud?

[Millymollymandy]

Well today I felt under my broody for the other hen's egg (she's not stopped laying!) and felt something all wet and sticky, thought Snowy had soiled the nest box but I lifted her up and she was covered in yellow goo, stupid chook had crushed the egg. Cleaned her up as best I could with some dry sawdust but she's going to reek now.

And I shouldn't have opened my big mouth about magpies eating duck and hen eggs on that other thread as my duck egg in the nest in the shed this morning had a great big hole in it where a magpie had gone in and pecked it. So no eggs today.

[grubbysoles]

Hi,

Just a little update on my broody girl - we transferred her to her new home the other night. I thought she was sitting on 4 eggs but when we scooped her up there were actually 7 under there. She is now snuggled in her cat box in the new, unfinished chicken house (hence the cat-box, no nest boxes in there yet!). She seems very committed to her cause. I clean out her house every day and there is always a big lump of poo in there, and the food and drink are getting nibbled on, so I know she's popping out once in a while, even though I never actually see it.

I hope she won't be too disappointed when the eggs don't hatch!

[JulieSherris]

I wish her a happy sit-in, but if she's a right proper broody like my Maran, she'll be sat there until they really do hatch!

Last year, I gave my maran some eggs to sit on, but the first batch were just rubbish - or she was, it was her first time. So, one evening after 23 days of sitting, I had to swap the eggs over for a fresh set, which thankfully, were ok & a further 21 days later she became the proud mum of 7 mini-chicks!
The thing is, that she would have sat & sat until something hatched from those eggs & I would have had a bloody hard job breaking her brood.
If after 21 days, your little one is showing no sign of moving, I would seriously consider breaking that brood & try to stop her in future, or give her what she wants & get some fertile eggs under her.
Good luck though!

My little muscovy duck now has 4 ducklings under her, with a further 4 eggs still waiting - they might be bad eggs, or they might be muscovy ducklings, we'll have to wait & see, but now another muscovy has decided that it's HER turn, so I shall be out making even more boxes & pens & broody boxes, & nursery pens & runs... oh it's never ending!!

[grubbysoles]

Oh dear, Julie, I was hoping she would just give up when they don't hatch! She's a Marans Cuivree - is that a particularly maternal breed? I don't fancy trying to dunk her in a bucket of cold water or anything like that, so maybe I'll just give in if she's still sat there in a couple more weeks and get her some 'proper' eggs. Hmmmm.

OK, now I have a couple more questions!

1) If I DO get her some babies, how old will the boys be when they start making all that noise? I'd LOVE a cockerel, but my neighbours wouldn't, and I'll need to get them, urm, 'despatched' before they get noisy.

2) Will she be really upset when she sees me taking her baby boys away? Or would they be old enough by noise-making age for the bond to have worn off a bit?

3) What would I do about vaccinating baby girls? My hens all came fully vaccinated, and I'll have to start selling the eggs if I end up with another hen or 2. Presumably they need to be vaccinated against salmanella and stuff????

Help! My chickens were supposed to look pretty and lay eggs, not have babies!

[JulieSherris]

OK answers....
1) The rooster lads usually start practising their crows at around 12 weeks or so - it depends on what breed they are, some breeds mature earlier - once they are about 6 weeks old or so & you can see which sex is which (unless you go for an autosex breed) then you could advertise them as young roosters for sale?

2) Once they have grown up a bit & she's taught them all she knows, then do what I do & take them from the house first thing in the morning, or last thing at night - she won't really notice!

3) I got a bottle of vaccination from the vet, but it's enough for approx 1000 doses! Have a word with your vet, but as you haven't got a large flock & you don't haul them off to bird shows & stuff, it shouldn't be too much of a concern really. I only got my vaccination because of the mixes that we have with the guineas & ducks & turkeys. I opted to vaccinate against Mareks disease.

And yes, Marans can be quite a broody breed - expect her to want to do again... and again... and again!!
Hope that helps!!

[JulieSherris]

Also.... what you could try next time is pop her in a box with a chicken wire floor & no shavings or straw for a few days - if she's not comfy, she'll go off the idea of hatching & go back to laying.... in theory!

[Millymollymandy]

Arrrrgggh I am having problems, two crushed eggs under my broody and just went in today cos I knew the other hen had been in there laying and what did I find but Snowy with a very messy face and beak covered in yolk and sawdust, stupid bird had broken it rolling it under her.......

I can't put her in a broody cage as I haven't got one or anywhere else to put her. I can't block off the nest boxes like I have in the past because there's still a laying hen.

I don't care about her staying a month on the nest it's just that the other stupid hen insists on climbing over her to lay in the same nest box when there's a perfectly good empty one next to it!

Advice please Julie Oh Great Knowledgeable One.

[grubbysoles]

And yes, Marans can be quite a broody breed - expect her to want to do again... and again... and again!!

Oh, great!! I'm going to sell her!

[JulieSherris]

Advice please Julie Oh Great Knowledgeable One.

Arrgh!! You know I've only had chooks for a year now, but I've read all I can & talked to birdy folks at bird sales, so that's where I get most of my info!

Anyway.... MMM, mostly, the broody girls don't make a mess of their nests right? So move her into a large box with the eggs - just lift her out once a day for her poo & food & water..... that way, she won't be fighting to steal eggs, or feel the need to move them & the other hen can lay where she wants?
I don't think they mind where they sit, as long as it's dark & quiet.

I used a cardboard box for the hatching chicks & again to pop the muscovy in while I sorted out another broody box & if you pop a deep shaving bed in, it should be ok for a few weeks.

That help?

By the way, I have a forum 'helper' by my elbow this morning - she said to say 'hello' & thinks it's highly amusing that she has 3 cats called Miley, Mandy & Molly! She also likes France... but she's never been.... be careful, you might get a visitor!

[Millymollymandy]

She's not sitting on eggs (no cockerel here) but I might just try putting her in a cardboard box. Though I have a feeling the silly laying hen might still want to go in with her.... But worth a try then she can stay in the henhouse with the others. Or she might just get out and go back in 'her' nest box. We'll see! Cheers!

Hello to your friend - it's amazing how many animals are called after me.

[JulieSherris]

Hello to your friend

She's not my friend, she's the devil granddaughter.....bad idea teaching kids to read, if you ask me!

[Millymollymandy]

Oh, is it Leah? Hi Leah

I thought you meant a helper from a forum and I thought what a lucky person you are to get help like that!

She's welcome to come here but no eating my chooks!

[red]

yeh MMM I would separate her.. put her in a box.. with a door! - that the others cant get into. maybe not even in the run, if you hve somewhere safe.

[Millymollymandy]

I made up the cardboard box but was going to wait until today to put her in but wasn't sure whether to cut a window in the side for fresh air or not (the top is open) - but now I think about it, the plastic cat carrying basket is starting to make sense as it has a grille 'door' where air can pass through easily, I could just shut it at the time of day when the other hen is laying then the broody can get out when she needs to go and do her business.

Only problem is I need to take my cat to the vet as he seems to have a gammy leg so cardboard box it is for the moment until cat gets sorted out! Bloomin' animals!