Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[Heidi-Hi]

Hi,

 

When is the best time of the year to hatch eggs under a broody? Do the chicks stay with her all the time or do I bring them in at night? How long do I need to keep mum and chicks seperate from the rest of the chickens? What does mum and chicks need accommodation wise?

 

Is it very obvious that I have never done this before!? I would love some Blue Laced Barnevelders, but they are hard to find, especially in my area, so I might have to hatch some myself! From what I can see using a broody is the better way of doing it, as she does a lot of the work for you

 

Thanks for any advise

[Jools]

I'd say you're too late for this year. I prefer to do my hatching during May, which means setting eggs late April - early May. It means they're growing during the so called summer and autumn and are suitably mature come winter. The added benefit is that they generally come into lay in December, filling the winter egg gap very nicely thank you.

 

Yes, mum and chicks need separate accommodation - actually mum needs her own broody coop while she's sitting to avoid being disturbed by anyone else.

 

Mum will normally stay with the chicks for around 6 weeks (sometimes more, sometimes less). Unless you're very lucky, the chicks will need to be kept separate until they're POL.

 

You'll probably need to book some Blue Laced Barnie eggs once you find a breeder as the rarer breeds tend to be well sought after.

[Heidi-Hi]

Thank you Jools, that has given me some food for thought (and plenty of time to get ready if I decided to go down that road!)