Unsecure chicken perches

[Becky 22]

Hya,

 

Just have a few questions to ask:

I have a Nankin Bantam who is currently broody, today we got her 8 fertilised eggs for her to hatch.

Will we need to remove the roosting bars in the eglu we've got? We have the original/normal one, and just wondered if the chicks would be able to walk across the roosting bars to get out of the eglu.

Also, should I put more straw in the nesting box so the chicks are higher up and can climb out easier?

We bought some special chick feeders, and special chick food, but I've never raised chicks like this and can't find much information.

We took the other chicken out of the eglu, and put her in a rabbit run with a house, however, she seems to hate it in there. We put her inside (via some tasty corn, and tactful shepherding) but she is constantly flapping, hopping up onto the feeders, and trying to get out. We got her in about 2 hours before roosting time, the run's definetely big enough for her, and tall enough for her to flap around (she's a Bluff Plymoth Rock, Bantam.) But she hates it ?

Also, I'm concerned, because when we lifted the Nankin off the nest to put the eggs under, she was sitting on two eggs already (laid by the other chicken) and had been broody for 2 weeks. I used gloves to pick her up, and put her down on the roosting bars, but she seemed to be on her side? She didn't complain, or stand up, just lay there rather awkwardly. I picked her up and put her on the nest, on top of the eight eggs, and she seemed fine, moving them around and adjusting them underneath her.

We recently lost the third chicken in the trio, to an un-known illness - coughing, not much air getting to the crest, then suddenly dead. It has been a week, and we have assumed that the others are not in danger.

Should we have taken more caution?

Also, will the Nankin now stay on the nest for another 3 weeks, even though she has already been broody for 2 ?

 

Thanks,

Becky.

[Redwing]

Wow lots of questions

 

The Eglu is fine as a broody house, do however put some skirting boards (boards, lawn edging etc..) around the bottom of the run to protect the chicks when they are very small as they have a habit of sticking their heads out

 

Eight eggs is a lot for a Nankin to hatch, candle them after about 7-10 days and remove any clear ones so she will be more comfy on the rest, she may pluck feathers from her chest - this is normal

 

remove the bars from the Eglu yes and fill the base with bedding so they can climb out when they hatch - dont fill the nest up though as less is more when it comes to broody nests - eggs can get lost in bedding if its too deep

 

Dont worry about then hen laying awkwardly when you move her, I get the same if I move a dozy hen, they do sort of flop to one side

 

Hook the hen out at least once a day to eat and drink (her current food is fine until the eggs hatch) she must get off the nest so she can poo too otherwise she will contaminate the nest (beware the daily broody poo )

 

Its not ideal to let one hen sit if you only have two as the other one needs companionship, normally I would say now is the time to introduce a new hen to the non broody one to get you back up to three but with the recent ilness of the hen that you lost I'd probably hesitate. Move the coops closer together so the hen can at least see the other one when she comes out of the Eglu for her daily food and water

 

I'm not sure what killed the other hen but keep an eye out for any problems in the remaining two obviously and hook the broody off the nest and remove the eggs if she gets sick, its never worth the risk of losing her if she is allowed to sit in anything other than perfect health

 

And yes she will sit for another three weeks, keep her energy levels up with some corn and mealworms though

 

When the eggs hatch she will eat the chick crumb with the chicks and not her normal food

 

Dont disturb her for the last couple of days at all

[Lewis]

I'd think its not best to have the buff rock on her own, which might be why she doesn't like it - she'll be in there for 3 weeks incubation and then maybe another 6 weeks while the hen is with the chicks. Could you get her a friend?

 

You'll need to take the roosting bars out for the chicks, yes. Either that or fill the tray with shavings/Aubiose so that it is level with the bars, or cover them somehow. Some people have taken the roosting bars out of the eglu and put the broody on the eggs in the poop tray, instead of the nest.

Another thing - could the buff rock go in the eglu, and put the broody in the hutch where she might not need as much space?

 

Another thing to think about is what you'll do with any cockerels