The Poultry Keeper

summayah · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 4289 Location: luton

I never intended having chicks, but as you know my welsummer changed that ~ we now have 3 lovely little things cheeping around in their own pen.
BUT I now have 2 more gone broody ~ I think from hearing the peeping of the chicks. I have a tiny pekin, buttercup, she went over straining her neck to see the babies and has now resolutely sat in one of the nest boxes for the past 2 days. The first one to go was ....a hybrid ~ I thought they'd had that bred out of them ~ well not my bovans nera she has been sitting tight for 3 days. When I finally get her out of the nest box she has her wings arched round like she's protecting a whole flock of babies.
Only have 2 nest boxes so everyone else is shouting at me because they have nowhere to lay their eggs, except in the few minutes it takes the broodies to run back round to get into the house when I've turfed them out.
Better get some more cardboard nest boxes I think for everyone else

jaydee67 · Posted: Sat May 21, 2005 9:03 am Post subject:

LOL! So what eggs are you going to put under your broodies? I have moved our broodies to the rabbits' inside winter quarters in the shed coz the big girls would push them out of the nest boxes and give them no peace.

Lisa · Posted: Sat May 21, 2005 9:04 am Post subject:

Ah! I didn't know it was catching LOL!! Laughing

pollypekin · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 183 Location: Kent

Well Summayah, you cant waste those broodies :) Get some eggs under them quick!! As soon as I have a broody with her chicks, I get another one go down - this time, a Welsummer, I have some pheasant eggs for her. They take a few days extra to hatch though :wink:
Let us know what eggs you decide on :wink: :D
good luck,

NannyP · Posted: Sat May 21, 2005 9:26 am Post subject:

Or, since I think you have a space issue, you could put them somewhere safe, with water and food and cool them down to stop them from feeling broody. I lock mine out of the coop, of course they all get locked out, and they have to sleep in the run. It seems to work after 2 or 3 days Very Happy

summayah · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 4289 Location: luton

bit worried about locking them out ~ what about mr fox at night. I have a weldmesh run but only fruitcage netting on top.
I've been taking the nesting boxes out at night so no-one can sit in them. Today I got another couple of boxes and put them in the houses so at least everyone can find a nest to lay in.......so then they both decided to be in the same house.
Gave me an extra incentive to get on with the big house ~ cut the hole for the pop hole, got the wood to frame it and everything else I think ~ then it tipped down. Maybe it will stop later and I can get it finished ~ then we should have lots of space.

nigel · Posted: Sat May 21, 2005 5:15 pm Post subject:

Our Bovans went broody last year, she sat on nothing for three weeks! Usually she is a calm good natured bird, but for these three weeks she was like a creature possessed hissing and pecking every time I turned her out of the nest box.

I put a post about it in PP it seems it's far from unusual for Bovans to go broody and they make good mothers.

summayah · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 4289 Location: luton

it finally stopped raining, having poured into the new house through the pop hole !! But I got it done, little runner things and pop hole. I also put the automatic opener on, but I don't think that's going to work. When I put the last battery it started to close the door and then stopped and went back up. Didn't think anything of that, I thought maybe it was a bit like a printer charging itself up. So I covered it with some black plastic but it never went down. I've covered the hole from inside because it then started to hailstone, will have a look later and see if it was just having a little rest after the pressure of moving down and inch and up an inch. Any suggestions anyone as to what might be wrong ~ but please give it in easy little words, please. thanks

couttleberry · Joined: 15 Apr 2005 Posts: 25

My spare broody just hatched 11 pheasant chicks. The eggs were rescued from a friend's garden last Monday before his dog could get to them. She has only been broody a week bless her, so is probably a bit surprised!

pollypekin · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 183 Location: Kent

Aaaaahhhh how lovely! :) Any chance of a piccie - what colour are they? I'm expecting some in about 2 weeks time :D

summayah · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 4289 Location: luton

well done couttleberry, look forward to the pictures

couttleberry · Joined: 15 Apr 2005 Posts: 25

The chicks are kind of speckley, a bit like a thrush but all over. They are sooo small, very quiet, presumably so they don't attract predators in the wild.

As these are wild birds, hatched domestically, I'm not sure how they will thrive and understand that the mortality rate may be quite high. Any advice from someone who has reared wild pheasants would be gratefully received!

couttleberry · Joined: 15 Apr 2005 Posts: 25

Having looked more closely at them, they are stripey rather than speckled. 3 black stripes along their back/wings. Have taken photos and am attempting to deal with them!