The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Sharondp on May 17, 2010, 06:59:05 pm
-
Don't really want to move them, but I had 2 broodys, and 2 spare hen houses (for 8-10 birds - 3 nest boxes in each!) so I put one in each of them - now I have a third broody, and a clutch of eggs that I was going to put in the incubator, but will now put under her. Can I put broodies in together, or will things get confusing as there will be approx 4-5 days between hatchings.
If I need to resort to using the shed, will a cat carry box do for her?
-
i would advise you not top allow them to hatch together, they may kill the others chicks if the eggs hatch, or more common, will steal each others eggs, and some eggs will be forgotten about and go cold. If you could half one of the huts then it would be fine on most occasions, allthough you would run risk of one of the hens stopping sitting if she hears next doors chicks.
Yes a cat Carrier is fine so long as it is large enough and she is not penned in, hens are very adaptable, one of mine used an old wheelbarrow!
Good Luck :wave:
-
Thank you - the shed it is then!
-
Def separate, otherwise they will pinch eachothers eggs and it will get very confusing! ending up with a disastrous hatch!
-
whot i do i keep the Brodie's for 12 months i then let them have 3 hatches i then score 1 to 10 i then incubate my eggs and put chicks under them .as the others go broody they are all in a row in green tomato boxes .there is 4 at the moment in 1 pen .iff you breed gold tops cross silki and light Sussex these birds are worth there Waite in gold i have 12 just for this job chocklate orpingtons chicks 6 under forget about them no problem .they have best pen best food and iff all had to go these would be left . i have 53 pens 250 ish rare breeds ducks quail geese
-
I put 2 broodies together last year. It was total mayhem. As soon as the first chick hatched all semblance of order went out the window. Some eggs were abandoned all together and the poor chicks didn't know who was mother. This year they are in seperate huts.
-
She's in the shed in the cat box - quite happy! Thanks all :chook:
-
I keep them all separate, and most are in cat carriers. I have so many broody banties, that its a job and a half remembering who is where and when they are going to hatch their eggs. I open the cat carriers and allow the hens out to eat, drink and walk around a little, each morning, and make sure they are back on the nest before I go to work - they all know which is their carrier. So far, its worked ok, and I had not forgotten anyone. Thats the problem, if you put them in a different shed, and they are shut in a carrier, remembering to feed and water them!!
-
I won't forget about her - she's in the shed with all the chicken feed!
Looks like I may have 4 broodies now ::)
-
Ah, thats a good place, you cannot miss her - she will be clucking too.