Unsecure chicken perches

[Kirstie]

Hi,

 

Last year I hatched some eggs in an incubator which was really scary and exciting and I said never again! But a few weeks ago I started thinking how it would be nice to hatch again.

 

Amazingly one of my girls from last years hatch has gone broody. So I have got hold of some eggs (my girls are all related to the cockeral) set up the eglu go and she has been sat on the eggs since Tuesday afternoon (I know I should have moved her at dusk it was a bit risky but I was too excited to wait ) she's been brilliant - doing all the right things.

 

I have a few questions though as I'm worrying about a few things.

 

She has been sitting very tight to the nest, so I worried she wouldn't get off so once a day I have lifted her off and put her in the run - where she has drunk water and had some food and today did the hugest poo I've ever seen by a chicken (broody poo) and then gone back in to return to the eggs. now I'm not sure if I need to lift her off or if I should see if she will do it herself (she hasn't been that I've seen) how long can I leave it to see if she goes by herself? I'm worried that by lifting her off I'm putting her off being broody? Could that happen?

 

Ok assuming she sits there for the require length of time and everything is ok, do I need to have the door on the house shut around hatching time and for 24 hrs so they can't accidentally fall out of the house? Do I put food and water in the house - for them and her (I know they don't need it for the first 24hrs but she might!) if I do shut it when can I open it?

 

I'm sorry of these are really silly questions - I thought hatching with an incy was terrifying (had to help a chick out of the egg - scariest thing ever!) but now its more out of my hands I don't want the bits I can help with to muck it up x

 

If there is any other info you think I may need to think about please let me know!

 

Thank you xx

[laurmurf]

i wouldn't shut the door as she'll make sure the chicks stay close but I would be more concerned about the roosting bars in the Go - are they removable? A chick could easily fall through otherwise so if you can, remove them, if you can fill the entire floor of the house up to the bars level so there isn't any way for a chick to get caught.

 

the chicks may struggle with getting up and down from the Go initially so I'd put food and water in shallow dishes where they can easily reach for the first few days too.

 

good luck!

[Kirstie]

Hi,

 

Thanks for your reply, I've cut a piece of plywood to cover the entire roosting bars section and to prevent it from being slippy I've covered it in table protector (plastic stuff with grip - easy ish to clean) so that's as far as I can tell chick safe!

[laurmurf]

ideal!

[chick wiggle]

I have a broody sitting on eggs at the moment, i would leave her, she will go out when she needs to.

I also put some small dishes of food and water in there with her so she doesnt have to leave her eggs to feed and drink.

Leave the door open during the day after the chicks have hatched too, mum will look after her chicks.

What are you feeding her? I give mine corn and chick crumb, i also soak some corn and sultanas so she gets plenty of water too.

After hatching with an incubator and brooder in the house, it is so much easier with a broody outside, mum does all the work and no mess in the house for a start!

When are the chicks due to hatch? Let us know how you get on

[Kirstie]

I was pretty pleased with my handy work (quite sad I know!) And the children had a teeny tiny go with the saw too so felt they had helped

 

Chick wiggle! Thanks for the tips on the food - I had just put in the run some layers pellets (I know not really needed now) and had been giving her a handful of corn. I wasn't sure wether to put some food and water in the house with her as I'd read this didn't encourage her to go out at poo (?) And that she would then do it in the nest ?

 

We are still on early days with incubation - eggs were put under her on Tuesday so due in 19 ish days (which is way too long for my liking ) im really hoping she will stay on them as it will just be lovely seeing her with them but I have an incubator which I will use if we have too.

 

Not sure what the chicks will look like - half the eggs are from dorking hens and the other half are either from rhode island red or black rock (dad for all of them is a dorking so I know what they will look like)

 

When are yours due to hatch?

[chuckmum6]

I don't leave the Eglu door open when they are hatching, I would be concerned that a wobbly chick could get out but not back up even with a ramp, which is essential I found on the Eglu (don't know about the Go). The next day I open the door and they have been fine. I put food and water (in tiny water tower) for mum, but only on the hatching day. After that food and water is available during the day, at night they sleep, mine have all grown up ok. I close the door at night, really for protection against the cold and any possible rodents. This works for me but everyone has different approaches.

[sjp]

I've had a broody that I had to lift of the nest every day for the first 2 weeks.

I put mine into lockdown on day 18 but I put food and water in with the broody last thing you want is a broody wondering of as the eggs start to hatch I also put her onto chick crumb from then the extra protin will do her good

I keep the door shut until 24hrs after the last chick has hatched and is all dry and fluffy

once chicks hatch broodies change mode from incuation to mothering and can abandon any late hatchers and eggs

[Isabel]

Thanks for asking these questions Kirstie - I've learned a lot in the last five minutes!!

 

I also have a broody sitting just now. It's her, and my, first time at this so we're not very good at it! I moved her the night before last and left her in all day yesterday with the door closed. She sat tight on the eggs - which aren't fertile (those are arriving today ) until I opened the door and let her into the run this morning. She got quite bothered when she saw the other hens and tried her best to get to them, calling and pacing. She did eat, drink and poo and I put her back in after half an hour. I closed the door and within a minute she was back on her eggs. Is it wrong to keep the door closed or should I open it again and see how long it is before she goes back of her own accord? I did wonder whether, if I had let her FR with the others, she would have settled back sooner. How long max can she stay out for without doing damage to the eggs? Could someone knowledgeable please advise me on this.

 

Re feeding them chick crumb - when is it advisable to start this ... now or a few days before hatching (if we get that far!).

 

Now I've another girl gone broody and wonder whether I should split the dozen eggs between them? It would mean having them both in the same broody area which is a large Labrador sized dog kennel!

 

All advice welcome and sorry for hijacking the thread!

 

Thanks

 

Isabel

[sjp]

I leave the door open so they can come and go as they have access to food a water and a bath if they want eggs can stand about 20mins without a broody might be a bit longer I've not had to put one back only take them off chick crumb a start in day 18.if you have one that dosn't eat when broody then mixed corn will be ok for a week or two

[Isabel]

Thanks Sjp. I'll leave the door open in the morning and see what she does. I have food and water in with her and she ate some corn I gave her yesterday evening but it just doesn't feel right to keep her locked in. I hope she will settle and go back to the eggs - they came today. The Maran eggs are amazing - such a lovely, deep colour!

[Kirstie]

Ahh well done Isabel I was going to ask how long they can leave the nest for. Belle decided to come out by her own accord today (I was worried I disturbed her doing some DIY by her house) then after eating and drinking she had a flap and then lay down in the sun! I was thinking this wasn't good! So I hid in the garage for a tiny bit, then dug out the incubator and set it up to get it up to temp. (this took a while as I could not remember!) when I came back out she was back sitting on the eggs! PHEW!

 

I've left the incubator running as I'm still not believing shes going to sit there for 18 more days! But she didn't come back out again so she's not giving up yet x

 

Two broodys sounds like hard work! Although they would keep each other company but how would that work at hatch time? Would they have a problem with each others chicks?

 

Thank you for all your replys - I'm feeling happier about my part! I just hope Belle is up to her part x

[Kirstie]

Wow marans - I love the dark colour x hard if not impossible to candle though aren't they?

[Isabel]

How long did Belle stay out for Kirstie? She sounds like she's doing great although having the incubator up your sleeve will give you peace of mind.

 

I'm worried about leaving the door open for Nigella tomorrow but I'll do it when I'm around. I'm not sure about Rachel - she was on two eggs this morning but I turfed her out and she hasn't gone back. I wondered how two broodies would get on and then I'd worry about my other girl whom would be on her own so I don't think it would workmthis time! Have even been looking at incubators but I must not tell my husband!!

 

When should I candle them? I guess if I can't make anything out in the Maran eggs, I'll just let nature take it's course. I keep going to look at the eggs - just gorgeous. I'd really like a Maran girl out of these!

[Kirstie]

I guess by leaving the door open tomorrow you will see how broody Nigella is? If she doesn't stay in or go back in and sit then she probably isn't broody anymore? Its amazing how worrying this is isn't it - considering chickens have been doing this forever - add nervous owners and it's all chaos!

 

I don't know how long Belle was out for as it seemed like ages but I was panicking and trying to dig the incubator out of our loft space so it was prob 15 mins

 

I was impulsive buying my incubator - one of my original girls got eaten by something which made me want more chickens and I wanted them to be from one of my girls, so without telling my husband I researched a small, cheap ish incubator and all of a sudden I had purchased one - not sure how that happened

It drove my husband potty every 45 mins the incubator turned the eggs with a hmmmmmmmmm noise and all I could do was obsess about my eggs (like I'm doing now!) it was amazing and scary (one piped but after a night and day hadn't come out and was panting so I looked on utube how to help - knowing full well it's not recommended and I got her out and she bled quite a bit from the navel - I thought I'd killed here but looking at the tissue in the incy one of the others that hatched by itself bled a lot too and brilliantly they all survived! I had 4 girls and 2 boys - one boy got ill at about 6 weeks and sadly had to go (he was very sweet) and his brother is now in charge of all my girls but will be going soon as he's turned nasty ) oops I've rambled sorry x

 

I am very excited though to see chicks being looked after the natural way - but I love the closeness I got with them from me looking after them x xxx I'm planning on trying to candle my eggs at 10 days or maybe 14 - not that I'm 100% sure what to look for but last year the inside of the egg had a dark blob in all but 1 so I assumed the dark blob was a chick and the one with nothing was not fertile x

 

Good luck with Nigella x let me know how she goes tomorrow with the door open - my fingers are crossed for you x

[Purplemaniacs]

I'm planning on trying to candle my eggs at 10 days or maybe 14 - not that I'm 100% sure what to look for but last year the inside of the egg had a dark blob in all but 1 so I assumed the dark blob was a chick and the one with nothing was not fertile x

I candled mine at 10 days, well DD's boyfriend did as he had done it before and knew what to look for but once we had done a few it was obvious even to me which ones were fertile, you could see the veins and the chick moving, the clear ones were not fertile and the dark shelled ones were tricky but we left them in the incy as you could not tell either way.

 

One that had grown but died was amazing you could clearly see this ring around the egg I had read about it but did not think it would be so clear to see.

 

Good luck

 

Chrissie

[Isabel]

Update from me this evening .... Nigella is sitting comfortably on a dozen eggs . Phew! I opened the door this morning and stood back. She appeared out really quickly, ate, I hope she drank and took herself back in, all within the space of 10 mins. The door has been open all day but she hasn't budged off the eggs so fingers crossed. We put the eggs in two at a time over a few hours - was advised to do it one at a tine every 30 mins but I was too impatient. Here starts a loooong days! Candling on day 10 though!

 

Hope Belle has been good today, Kirstie.

 

Isabel

[Kirstie]

Well done Nigella Thats brilliant news! She knew what she was doing - its us that mess it up!

 

Belle was brilliant today - I didn't see her come out at all (busy with children's swimming lessons, etc) so this afternoon I took her off the nest and put her out in her run - went and hung up the washing and after looking at my watch went back (5mins later) and she was back in on the nest growling at me!

 

So all in all a brilliant day for Belle and Nigella xxx lets hope they keep it up and that our next challenge (candling) goes well and then after that hatch day

 

Looking forward to hearing how nigella goes xxx good luck x