Omlet Smart Autodoor - New in box

[bouldercroft]

...and turn it into a anti-broody pen

 

Rita has been broody for at least 3 weeks now - and I'm declaring that enough is enough. Hubby refurbished a cheap ikea bench into a broody pen. Don't worry she'll only be in here during the day - she'll be allowed out in the afternoons and evenings.

 

photo by jewilk71, on Flickr

 

photo by jewilk71, on Flickr

 

photo by jewilk71, on Flickr

[witzend]

BRILL! I take it an anti-broody pen is just a safe place for a broody hen to be until she's stopped being broody?

[bouldercroft]

the idea is to get her off the nest and onto a ventilated base to bring down her body temperature and sometimes the different surroundings can break it too

 

I do feel really bad....poor thing...

[beach chick]

I hate putting them in the broody coop too - but the theory is she should be in there for 72 hours in order to snap out of it completely - with food and water of course. I usually manage 48 hours and then cave in and the offending chook quite often goes broody again rather quickly

[witzend]

anyone else and easy solutions to a broody pen...........I'm guessing it's handy to have something on hand!!

[CluckyBucks]

That is so clever I wonder if the same could be acheived with Ikea pencils

 

xx xx

[bouldercroft]

I wonder if the same could be acheived with Ikea pencils

 

 

toooooooooo funny!

[bouldercroft]

anyone else and easy solutions to a broody pen...........I'm guessing it's handy to have something on hand!!

 

the easiest thing to do is to get a small dog crate - the wire ones that you use for training?

So, I went to PetCo last night and the guy said 'what kind of dog do you have' - I said 'a chicken'

amazingly he didn't bat an eyelid at my response but the dog pen was $80 and I wasn't paying that.....

[scarlettohara]

I use a dog crate with eglu roosting bars on bricks. You will need to leave her in for at least 48 hours solid though or she may well just go back on the nest She won't come to any harm in there as long as she has food and water.

[witzend]

what size crate would be best?? could you put 2 broodies in if they were broody at the same time??

[percy049]

I've got a broody hen, who just goes in the garage in the mornings while the others lay their eggs. when they've all laid, we shut the door and let Lottie (the broody) out. I dont think we could face putting her in a anti-broody coop, or even dunking her in cold water. oh well, there goes 28 eggs .

[scarlettohara]

what size crate would be best?? could you put 2 broodies in if they were broody at the same time??

 

Doesn't have to be huge - they are so affronted they tend not to move

 

I'd put another couple in here

[Jools]

what size crate would be best?? could you put 2 broodies in if they were broody at the same time??

 

I'd say one at a time because you don't want two of them egging each other on .... I jest not!

[witzend]

How eggsasperating (!) - I suppose you need 1 cage per possible broody then?

[beach chick]

mine seem to take it in turns - if one is broody the others will wait til she's been 'dealt with'. I like the idea of the roosting bars in the bottom of the broody coop, ours is just chicken wire and I always feel a bit mean...

[witzend]

Lol - but I've also read that they get over it quicker on wire cos they're not as comfortable!!!

[CatsCube]

Sorry for the dumb question, but what do you do at night, do you just let them back in the with the others and then put them back in the cage each day?

[BarbaraJ]

nope mine go in the dog crate for 48hrs and stay there, i have one now i need to deal with as when i've tried lifting her out another chicken goes for her so hope being in the cage will get it back used to seeing her again.

[fluffy chick]

I currently have 3 broody! I bought a small dog cage and put one of them in it (4 days! ) and she still came out and was back in the nest within half an hr! I didn't have the heart to put her back in. I tried ice packs in the nest too but they just laid on top of them anyway

 

btw they should only be broody for 3 wks anyway (how long it takes for eggs to hatch) well that's the general rule anyway.

[Redwing]

Hens will sit for as long as it takes to hatch eggs, if none hatch (eg no eggs!) they'll continue to sit and wait

 

Thats why a hen will happily hatch duck or goose eggs which take longer than 21 days

 

Some will sit for weeks on end becoming very thin and under the weather and a target for parasites

 

Its best to break them rather than have them sit

 

The broody cage/IKEA bench looks just the job

[sadietoo]

That's a luxury broody pen, in fact almost a spa!..don't show my Light Sussex or she will want one instead of the dog crate...

 

Stating the obvious I am sure, but just thought I'd add for the benefit of any complete newbies/ or new omleteers who don't think they have a fox problem....yes keep them in the broody coop for 48 hours, but do make sure it is inside something that is fox proof at night..eg that it sits inside the eglu run or a garage or even a shed..although of course the point is to get their temperature down, so nothing too cosy!

[bouldercroft]

my broody coop is in the WIR which is critter-proof (apart from the chipmunks who sneak in when the chickens aren't looking)

 

my plan is to let Rita out of jail overnight as the eglu's are closed as the girls all sleep outside in the WIR on the high perch

[sadietoo]

my broody coop is in the WIR which is critter-proof (apart from the chipmunks who sneak in when the chickens aren't looking)

 

 

My late husband's aunty lived in New Hampshire and we visited once...You absolutely have to love Chipmunks....x

[bouldercroft]

My late husband's aunty lived in New Hampshire and we visited once...You absolutely have to love Chipmunks....x

 

cute but devilish - very destructive to property, plants and chicken feed...

[Egluntyne]

I've had 2 broody pekins in the dog crate before now. I leave broodies in it for 3 days and nights, and so far it has worked. It goes in the WIR and is raised off the ground on bricks.