Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Shadrach]

What changes would you suggest I make?

Ditch the sand. Use a section of turf dug out in one solid section roots and all. I tried a 4 inch deep turf section and had earth underneath that and straw on top which the hen could rearrange. That worked well for me in Spain. Many years ago in the UK we had a broody containment area with if my memory serves me 20 or so nest boxes set directly on to the ground (no base). Given the containment area was around 10m by 10 metres inside a secure fenced area rats mice and other ground predators weren't a problem.
In Catalonia I went a different route and build small broody coops and runs. I had three going at one point. One such can be seen in the link to the article I posted earlier. I used to keep these open during the day and the chickens came and went, often choosing to lay their eggs in them rather than the nest boxes in the coops. Chickens don't like strange stuff much when it comes to housing. Having what you may want chickens to use at some point open for their inspection and use helps a lot when one wants to use one as a broody coop.

I have built a broody coop which is about 5x5 and has a four inch depth of sand, but again it has hardware cloth underneath. Now that things are arranged differently I can use it for its intended purpose.

Having a small secure run attatched I found usefull. Mum can bring the chicks onto proper ground as soon as they can stagger out of the coop. Ideally one wants the chicks on proper ground as early as possible. they build some immunity to the local pathogens through early exposure and Mum can show them how to dig and scratch and even dust bathe without leaving the security of the run. It also gives the keeper a chance to watch the chicks in action to check for a ny problems. This can be a major asset to keepers who free range when once the chicks are out of the coop may be very difficult to keep track of.

When should a new broody be introduced to the broody box? I can put her in there without a "nesting box

Not quite sure what you mean here. As mentioned above I have the broody coops open anyway so they're used to it whether they are going to sit and hatch or not.
The times I've had to move a broody hen from an unsafe outside nest site, assuming I've found the nest, I've done it at night once I'm sure she's sitting.
When possible I've waited until the night of day three. Some hens will do a three day sit straight without leaving the nest while they keep the eggs turning to stop the embryo sticking to the inside of the shell. Others take breaks.
I used to go out at night with a good head torch, lift the hen off her nest and hold her in one hand and gather her eggs and place them in a bag I had for this.. I place the eggs in the nest box I want her to sit in and her on top and shut her in. For most a night in the nest box with their eggs is enough to bond them to the new nest, but not always. Sometimes one has to keep putting the hen back on the eggs for the rest of the next day. I think I've only had a couple of broodies who abandoned the new nest out of more than I can recall.

 

[Shadrach]

I used the incubator for a couple reasons. First, we have snakes and have lost a few clutches either to the snakes or to Mama trampling the eggs trying to fight off the snake. I figured if a snake got her eggs I'd have replacement chicks. (The coop is open all day and the birds free range, so keeping snakes out is an ongoing challenge.)

Second, I gathered them up as she kicked them out and put them in the incubator.

She's a BA so she should be able to handle more than six.

While hens can sit on and hatch more then six eggs I found six to be a good number to let them sit on. With more eggs, assuming they hatch the mother has problems sheltering and feeding the chicks. If this happens after a staggered hatch for example I found the late hatchers didn't survive.

This is a story about a bantam hen that sat on 12 eggs and hatched 10.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/shadrachs-stories.1263724/post-20295718

 

[fuzzi]

While hens can sit on and hatch more then six eggs I found six to be a good number to let them sit on. With more eggs, assuming they hatch the mother has problems sheltering and feeding the chicks. If this happens after a staggered hatch for example I found the late hatchers didn't survive.

This is a story about a bantam hen that sat on 12 eggs and hatched 10.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/shadrachs-stories.1263724/post-20295718

I enjoyed that story, but poor Cheepy.

 

[MaryJanet]

Ditch the sand.

I agree. I've tried using sand in nest boxes and it doesn't cling together sufficiently to make a bowl shape and nor does it provide much insulation.

 

[LaurenRitz]

Not quite sure what you mean here.

You mentioned in the article that you moved broodies into a nest in the house, apparently just before lockdown. Was there a purpose to this? Do you move them all, or only those that chose an unsafe spot?

 

[LaurenRitz]

I agree. I've tried using sand in nest boxes and it doesn't cling together sufficiently to make a bowl shape and nor does it provide much insulation.

The main purpose of using the sand was insulation from the mud. Sand drains water much more easily than clay (the only other option) as shown by the storms the last few days. The run is a morass of mud, the main coop wet under the wood chips, and the broody coop more or less dry. Yes, I need to do some work to divert the water. One more project to add to my list.

I can put sod down, there's plenty of grass, but at the moment the sand is doing its job.

The other reason for the sand was to allow a dust bathing area for the broody. Not sure how to manage that if I put sod over the top.

 

[Shadrach]

Mostly dry and chickens were mostly in the allotment run. Drama kicked off within the group during the past 48 hours and I spent most of my chicken time and a good deal of the morning on the phone trying to reduce the heat.
On this occasion I helped fuel the drama. I may not have been my usual patient, caring, diplomatic self.
During the discussion I had with C and the treasurer the expression millennial snowflakes, was more spat out than spoken by C at one point. There are certain aspects of the group that C and I are in complete aggreement on.
The Sweary Boys may not be at the field for much longer. I've heard this before so we shall wait and see.

Fret was off her nest when I turned up but once fed and watered returned to the eggs. I'm not fussed if she doesn't sit now; later would be easier. I'm interested in what Mow will make of it, whether she's inherited her mothers broodiness.

The coop looks a bit empty, even when Fret is roosting with them. Two females and one male, preferably better behaved than Dig was, would be handy if Fret can manage it.
Coop floor needs a wash and I've got Fret sitting so it's a bowl and scrubbing brush job rather than a wash out with a hose.

 

[Shadrach]

You mentioned in the article that you moved broodies into a nest in the house, apparently just before lockdown. Was there a purpose to this? Do you move them all, or only those that chose an unsafe spot?

I'll read the article but I think the move was out of the house and into a coop/nest box. I can't remember what I wrote. The purpose was to have the chicks hatch where they will live, on the ground. The nest box in my house was about three feet off the ground. I had a few hens nest and hatch there, mainly because I was trying to find out things like how often they turn their eggs, at what stage do the mums talk to the eggs and what sounds she makes and because I rather liked having chickens in the house. These, I moved out to a broody coop and run as soon as mum made it obvious she had finished hatching.

 

[BDutch]

I've read the thread. It seems that the lead content was zero after more stringent testing and then the reliability of the test strips became a further issue.

Thanks for updating me.

I used EDPM nest box liners in a couple of nest boxes in Spain without issue. The chickens never showed any interest in eating it.

You are right EPDM is a good kind of rubber without toxics like in PVC. The best you can buy as underlayment for a green roof (sedum). Seems I used it on the lid of the nestboxes to repair the leaking at the hinges. We had saved the remainder after the construction of our (bicycle) shed.
I didn’t realise you can use it as isolation against cold too.

 

[BDutch]

She is laying eggs and no crowing. Anybody else seen this? She has always been a tomboy...

I don’t have a tomboy, but 2 mama’s who titbit for their chick.

And I have a sort of lesbian hen (Kraai, behind Ini mini on the photo) who mates other hens without being nice to them. Stopped giving eggs, because she is broody.