suehiggi Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 Hello. Can anyone give me some advice please? I have one broody pekin bantam that is sitting on her first clutch of eggs in her Eglu. We have never hatched chicks before and I am concerned that when they hatch the chicks won't be able to get out of the nest area(it's quite steep and maybe slippy for just hatched chicks) and they would also fall through the wooden slats in the house part. I have seen the chick conversion kit in the omlet shop but a review said that was ok once the chicks were 10 days old. Should I move my broody hen before her eggs hatch to a more chick friendly house or am I just worrying and they will be ok in the Eglu? My other two hens passed away earlier this year ( one to a fox attack and the other to old age) when Nell went broody I thought it would be a good idea to buy some fertile pekin eggs to hatch so she wouldn't be lonely anymore. I have candled them today (11 days in) and think that 4 of the 6 may hatch. Just desperate nothing goes wrong if they do! If anyone has raised chicks in an Eglu I would be so grateful for any advice. Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thenewchick Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 I'm am doing the very same thing! I am going to take the roosting bars out and just fill the space right up to nest height with bedding (hemcore), keep the door closed for a few days, putting the water and food inside . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckmum6 Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 My broody sits in the tray, no roosting bars, on wood shaving. The chicks have a level surface, with no where to get stuck behind. I make a small ramp so they can get in and out of the Eglu door for the first days. I have hatched several clutches out this way. I have attached the 'chick kit' to the side of the run to keep the little peepers draft free, but I don't bother with other bit. Mine are all hatched bar on which is still pipping - good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 Remove the bars (you can do this through the eggport rather than taking the top off the Eglu) then fill the tray with bedding Be careful of the run bars, more than a few people have lost chicks to them getting stuck or worse escaping. Some cheap wooden panelling/skirting board/plastic lawn edging around the bottom of the run would be a good idea Also be careful of the poo tray gap, a friend lost a chick last night to a fox that grabbed it through the gap . Some gaffer tape over the gap would at least hide the fact that its there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
batcatz Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 I'm doing the same as newchick, but with duck eggs! My eglu is inside a secure walk in run. Will move perches a couple of days before hatch date, then move mum and ducklings (if any) after a couple of days into a smaller coop and run within the walkin run. Gosh! Forgot about the hole in the nest box! Will put something in there to plug it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suehiggi Posted June 17, 2012 Author Share Posted June 17, 2012 Thank you everyone. I will follow all your advice. I hadn't thought about the gap around the poo tray so will definately tap that up. Thank you again for your support. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckmum6 Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 I have stuffed rolled up newspaper in the gap at the back, it helps to stop a draft too. All of mine are hatched and have had a brief go up and down the ramp, with no problems! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirstie Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Hi, I have hatched eggs in the go (I'm not sure how different that is to the classic) but I cut a thin piece of ply wood the shape of the floor space inside the house, with a section cut out for the nest. I then put this on top of the bars (in the go if I take the bars our the nest area goes too). I filled the nest area with straw (which was fine for the chicks as by the time they hatched Belle had squished it down). I also attached a bit of wood to the side of the nest area (attached onto the plywood to stop any eggs falling out of the nest. And I made one more thing - I made a little ramp for them to get in and out of the house as its quite a big step! I covered all my DIY wood bits with table protector which is non slip (but not amazingly easy to keep clean once they start pooing for England I didn't worry about the bars on the run but I had quite big chicks and also I did have plastic covers on the run which would have helped with the wind but not stopping them getting out (they were pretty large I couldn't see how they would have got through them!) Good luck x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
