The Poultry Keeper

Henwife · Joined: 31 Jan 2006 Posts: 2715 Location: Monmouthshire

I've had a mid sized broody marans which I have been trying to break, without any success. Yesterday I stuffed her into the rabbit huch on a nest with 2 china eggs and told her she was a pain & could work for her living. Today I am tucking newly hatched cream legbar pullets under her and shall take the pot eggs away hen the last two hatchlings have dried out. I suspect they are male anyway. Either she's planning infanticide tonight, or she's remarkably laid back.

debcat · Posted: Mon May 05, 2008 8:34 pm Post subject:

Henwife · Joined: 31 Jan 2006 Posts: 2715 Location: Monmouthshire

All seems well. She'd chucked out the china eggs "Pah, non hatchers" and has 5 Cream Legbar pullets tucked under her skirts.. Now I'd better do a house & run for her, the rabbit hutch really won't do.

EGirl · Joined: 01 Nov 2007 Posts: 839 Location: Dublin, Ireland

Hi Henwife, would you post pics of your broody house & run? I'm planning on building one within the existing run but not entirely sure how big etc. Also, my broody house is up high and I'm wondering how high is too high? it's about 4ft off the ground.....with a ramp down...is that ok for chicks?

Henwife · Joined: 31 Jan 2006 Posts: 2715 Location: Monmouthshire

Ahem...she's likely to be housed in an old teachest waterproofed with stapled-on feedsacks. Run made with whatever small gauge wire netting I can find, held up with bamboos & covered with fruit cage netting. To be fair, this bit of jerry building will be inside the electric netting. It didn't get done today as I was getting a larger house prepared in order to move two lots of growers in tonight, freeing two other small accommodation areas. They're already spoken for!
My usual broody housing is triangular arks with integral runs, but they're all in use. Chicks don't do high level I'm afraid.they stand at the bottom and yell, or go under the gangway and yell. I have found that if they can't jump it, they won't follow Mum, but maybe I've just had dumb chicks.

Welsh Duck · Posted: Tue May 06, 2008 8:55 pm Post subject:

I agree henwife, sheds need to be on the floor for chicks.

EGirl · Joined: 01 Nov 2007 Posts: 839 Location: Dublin, Ireland

Thanks for the tip. I shall attempt a little nursery ark so. Haven't built anything in a while so looking forward to it. Got my little Australorps today, hoping one will be broody soon!

Henwife · Joined: 31 Jan 2006 Posts: 2715 Location: Monmouthshire

They are brilliant broodies and mothers.

Kitsune · Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 1083 Location: Manchester

I ditto the 'stupid chicks' thing - they won't follow mum up a ramp, when i tried a duel level brooder they wouldn't go up a ramp to get to the light either, just sat under the shelf in the cold getting louder and louder till I moved the heat to the lower level.

vanessa · Joined: 24 Sep 2005 Posts: 1163 Location: Correze

Our chicks must be above-average intelligence then!! Laughing

Our broody-coop has a little ramp going up to the door (about 4 inches off the ground, so not steep). Mother-hen keeps the babies indoors for the first couple of days, then leads them outside into their run. They always go back in when she "tells" them to!!

Later, we remove the ramp (when opening and shutting the door gets tricky without them escaping, as the ramp has to be moved first!) ... and the immediately get the hang of jumping up and down! They look SO cute doing so! Very Happy