What makes a chicken coop easy to live with?

[Yolky]

My Peaches is still blooming broody. I have been taking her off the nest and shutting the nest box so she just broods in a corner of the run. The thing is I have realised that my afternoon layer is not my broody but my other Rosey. I know this because I was just out giving them their mash potato for tea and Rosey suddenly ran off and hid behind the broody hen and i looked over to see what was happening and I saw the eggy coming out! She looked so sweet as if she didn't know what was happening.

 

This cannot go on, I can't have her laying in the run like that, it isn't fair on her and not a habit I want to start. I don't have a dog crate or anything so I am thinking this is what we might do. Take a look at this photo...

 

 

There is a bit under the eglu which is a metre square and has already got mesh on three sides. We will put the broody into that section during the day with her own food/water bowls etc and make a temp fourth wall which will be there to keep her in in the day. At night we will return her to the eglu and then in the morning put her back again until see seems ok again. What do you think? This way we can still keep the nesting box open for the other girlies. Is a metre square big enough for her? It isn't forever, just till she stops clogging the nest.

[alexgirl73]

I think that is a great idea. Perhaps pop in a perch if you can to perhaps entice her to move around a bit. Hope she snaps out of it soon!

[Egluntyne]

It might help, but if she can still sit and snuggle down in that lovely Aubiose, she might not get the message.

 

Can you put some sort of mesh floor so that she is standing. or if she sits there is a gentle breeze wafting under her petticoats?

 

It looks a robust enough set up for her to be left in it for 3-4 days without going into the Eglu at night.

[Yolky]

Thanks for the replies. I do have a perch so will pop that in, good idea.

 

Egluntine, do you mean to leave her in there overnight too? It is fox proof (well we have done as much as we can to make it that) but I would worry she would be spooked if a fox tried to get in to get her. Or do you think that it would be ok? I don't have any mesh for the floor.....could I just remove all the auboise from that corner so it wouldn't be so cosy and go out and clean up the poo in that area a couple of times a day, do you think that might work?

 

Alexgirl, thanks again for the flubenvet. I have started them off on it already

[alexgirl73]

you are very welcome

 

Love that phrase Egluntine, ' a breeze wafting under her petticoats'

[Egluntyne]

I did mean overnight so that she can't get comfy in the Eglu.

 

You could put a plant pot or similar in the nesting box though so that she has to perch, then you would be happier about her being safe, and she would still have a bit of of a breeze wafting under those petticoats.

[Yolky]

We have been putting an upturned kids bucket into the box at night to stop her getting comfy, this morning when my husband up he said she had got into the nest box with the bucket even though there wasn't really room for her. She is a determined one that one lol.

 

One thing I have to say is that I had heard about broody chooks poos being big but I didn't quite realise how big.....I thought my chook had turned into a great dane for a minute

[Egluntyne]

I thought my chook had turned into a great dane for a minute

They are a bit grim aren't they.

[Yolky]

They are rather lol. My 8 year old was stood next to her when she did it and his eyes nearly popped out of his head, he was like WOW look at the size of that poo, then ran into the house to tell his Dad about the size of it What is it with kids and poo

 

Thank you for all the advice