Change of plans

[Auntiejessi3]

She is such a good momma

 

[Auntiejessi3]

I'll open up the fence in a couple days when the severe weather threat dies down

 

[Auntiejessi3]

The weather skirted us, so I took the fencing down this morning, she took the littles out this afternoon, she seems a bit oblivious sometimes, not a lot of clucking (unless one starts cheeping) and every time she takes them back in to the coop she gets in a nest box and calls for them to come I pulled her out of the nest box this evening and she finally settled down with them in the corner on the coop floor. I hope she gets it together tomorrow or those babies are going to get taken away, smdh

 

[Auntiejessi3]

Well, she is doing much better at managing them, clucking and what not, but she still insists on getting in a nest box in the evening and calling them to come up (which they can't). It's just not clicking in her head. I think tomorrow after work I'm going to take them away, I don't want to, but I can't be going out every evening having to fight with her to get her out of the box and on to the floor to keep the chicks warm. Never again with such a young broody

 

[Auntiejessi3]

 

[NatJ]

Well, she is doing much better at managing them, clucking and what not, but she still insists on getting in a nest box in the evening and calling them to come up (which they can't). It's just not clicking in her head. I think tomorrow after work I'm going to take them away, I don't want to, but I can't be going out every evening having to fight with her to get her out of the box and on to the floor to keep the chicks warm. Never again with such a young broody

Are the nestboxes in the recent video the ones she is trying to use? They certainly look low enough for chicks to jump inside. If they can't get in yet, they certainly should be able to in just a few days.

Maybe put a brick in front to make a "step" so they can get in more easily?

 

[Auntiejessi3]

Are the nestboxes in the recent video the ones she is trying to use? They certainly look low enough for chicks to jump inside. If they can't get in yet, they certainly should be able to in just a few days.

Maybe put a brick in front to make a "step" so they can get in more easily?

They are about 8-ish inches off the ground, I thought about that, but then I also thought about all the poop, idk what the solution is, aside from the nest box issue she's been great besides that first day out.

 

[NatJ]

They are about 8-ish inches off the ground, I thought about that, but then I also thought about all the poop, idk what the solution is, aside from the nest box issue she's been great besides that first day out.

Can you maybe give her a box on the floor? A cardboard box turned on its side might work, if she wants a sheltered place to sleep with the chicks.

As regards poop, if she and the chicks sleep in one box, and then the other hens lay eggs there the next day, it will definitely cause dirty eggs. But if she wants to sleep in a box the other hens usually ignore, you might be able to just clean it out in a few weeks (after the hen and chicks have moved to roosting.)

 

[Auntiejessi3]

Can you maybe give her a box on the floor? A cardboard box turned on its side might work, if she wants a sheltered place to sleep with the chicks.

As regards poop, if she and the chicks sleep in one box, and then the other hens lay eggs there the next day, it will definitely cause dirty eggs. But if she wants to sleep in a box the other hens usually ignore, you might be able to just clean it out in a few weeks (after the hen and chicks have moved to roosting.)

Yeah, they are removable and very easy to clean, I put a brick there, we'll see how it goes tonight. I tried the box on the floor and she freaked out, so I put a bunch of hay and shavings Thank you for your suggestions, I appreciate it!

 

[Auntiejessi3]

Ok so despite the poop, that is cute as all get out