Hey I think I've got a broody - help and advice again please

[Newtothis]

Hi

Our late starting mabye cuckoo maran, maybe not hen has gone broody I think!
She's sitting in the nest box a lot and gathering the other hens eggs under her and seems to have lost some feathers on her underneath....
If this is broodyness then I'd love to have a go at raising a few chicks and have been looking around on ebay.
I'm making a small coop and run to have as a broody coop.
It'll be a nest box with a pop hole really....do I need a roost in it?
I'll attach a small enclosed run to it so that she'll have somewhere to feed and poop - does it need anytghing else at this stage?
Also is there a beginers thread about raising chicks on here?
Any help and advice as always really welcomed.
Oh and I was planning to raise some meat birds this spring anyways from buying some 4 week olds, so I'm ready to deal with the boys that might hatch....well in theory anyway. I have a friend who already does this that has said he'll help teach me the correct ways.

thanks

David

[petal]

Seems like you are fully prepared for the implications of hatching. You are right to split her from the others into separate accomodation. She will need lifting off the eggs daily to eat etc. Theres loads of separate advice on raising chicks here and you could obtain katie thears guide to incubation from amazon .

[Newtothis]

Just been on ebay and have 6 eggs winging thier way from Devon!!
Please be careful Mr Postman.

[polo]

I asked all about raising chicks not so long back and got some great advice - cant remember what i called the thread - off to look!

[polo]

It was called 'considering hatching this year'

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ear_62783.html
Polo

[Newtothis]

Thanks Polo - lots of useful advice on there.
One question.....should I be removing the unfertile eggs that they are laying at the moment - the fertile ones won't be here for a day ore two - or should I just leaving her to sit on them?
If I do just leave her and then do an egg swap when the fertile eggs arrive, can the ones that she's been sitting on for a few days be eaten?
Also should I move her into the broody coop set up to get her used to thgings?
I'm sure it's all much simpler than I'm imagining, but it's our first try....

thanks

David

[RichmondHens]

Leave her sitting on the infertile eggs. Move her now to a broody coop so she has chance to settle before you give her the proper eggs. Also give her a good going over with louse powder. When the fertile eggs arrive leave them to settle for 12 - 24 hrs then swap them with the eggs that are currently under the hen. I personally would chuck the eggs she has been sitting on, unless she has only been on them a few days and then if you do decide to eat them then cook them really thoroughly.

Also change her feed over to just grain and grit. She doesn't need layers as she's not laying and it will make her poo more solid. Also it takes longer to digest and therefore she will not get off the nest so often to feed. I don't put my hens off the nest unless they are known soilers, ie they poo in the nest. I usually just leave them to get off when they want to.

[di]

I couldn't agree more about dusting her down before sitting her on the eggs...I very nearly lost a brooding hen due to a bad infestation of mites.

Good Luck

[Newtothis]

I'll move her to her new accommedation tomorrow then, and give her a good dusting of louse powder. I'd not like to loose her to mite.
Thanks RH, I'll let her do her own thing too about getting on and off the nest. I thought it sounded a bit unnatural to have to 'put her out daily' to feed. Much rather she looked after herself.
I guess that the grain you mention is the same as the mixed corn that we already feed in the afternoon?

David

[RichmondHens]

Yes mixed corn will be fine.

Good luck!

[Hilary B]

The reason why 'candling' of eggs after 7 days brooding used to be traditional is that up to that stage any infertile ones CAN be used, but I personally wouldn't use them for anything but baking.

[RichmondHens]

I have in the past eaten eggs (I think I baked a cake Hilary) which have been sat on by a hen for a few days but generally wouldn't do it. After about day 5 there is a definite little embryo "blob". It always seems to be a bit of a waste to just throw eggs away that have been partially incubated so as long as they have not been going for many days you could always cook them up for other hens.

I remember several years ago taking some eggs away from a broody because I didn't want her to hatch her own that she'd started on but the pure breed hatching eggs I'd reserved for her. Breaking her eggs into the sink showed they were all fertile and developing and it felt such a waste, I felt so sad looking at those tiny little embryos.

[Newtothis]

Well eggs are on thier way, they should arrive tomorrow - 6 x cream legbars - and we can't wait!
I moved Mafanwy to her new accomodation yesterday and she immediatly stopped being broody..kicked the egg out of the nest..and eventually stamped on it!
Talk about stir crazy!
She seems to have settled down a bit this morning and came out for a feed, drink, then went straight away to the old nest box - with NO eggs in it! - and started sitting again?
I have moved her to the new nest and she was covering the eggs there OK when we left for work....so we live in hopes.
There is a small run attached to the new nestbox, but she didn't settle this morning until she'd 'free ranged' with her pals for about 10 mins.
Should I continue to let her do this, and then just move her into the new nest before we leave? Or do you think she will get the idea?

David

[RichmondHens]

She's obviously attached to her familiar nestbox, but persevere, she will settle in the end. If she doesn't then in the absence of a second broody you will have to risk sitting her in her favourite spot and move her as soon as the eggs are pipping. Maybe she is not broody enough yet? I've in fact just set some eggs under a hen that initially seemed quite broody but once moved to the broody coop she got off and spent two days in the run shouting. I ignored her and eventually she got bored and started to sit on the plastic eggs I'd given her. I let her sit on them for five days just to make sure she was properly broody and put some cream legbar eggs under her last night and she is sitting tight on them this morning, even growling at me when I stroke her, always a good sign.

Of course it's always a pain when you have already sent off for eggs but they will be quite ok left for a couple of days or so until you are really sure she is serious. If she is a young hen she will feel a bit insecure away from her pals but if you want her to do a proper job you have to give her hormones time to kick in. Keep her separate from now on, fill her up with as much corn as she will eat and she should get the idea eventually. Make sure the broody coop is in a quiet, sheltered and shady place eg tucked into the base of a tall hedge or something, and somewhere where the other hens can't pester her. You can move the coop into a more open and sunny area once the chicks have hatched - I often put mine on the back lawn where they are visible from the kitchen window so I can enjoy watching them while doing the washing up!

[Hilary B]

I'd keep her shut in where she will be put to hbrood, and only let her out for short intervals until she has accepted that this is the place. You don't want to only shut her in just before the bought eggs arrive!
re-eggs for eating, have you a cockerel with your hens? If not, the issue of them starting to develop does not arise.