Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[BDutch]

I'll try to remember to take a picture.
You need a piece of this,
https://shop.deltarubber.co.uk/black-epdm-rubber-sheet.html
and a piece of space blanket (cheap is fine) and a roll of double sided tape.
Cut both over size, stick one to the other keeping the foil as crinkle free as possible and then cut to nest box floor size. Put usual bedding on top.

First congrats with Fret being broody again!

Second a question about the rubber. Are you sure it’s not made from recycled car tyres? There is a discussion going on about the toxics in it: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-water-30-mg-l-2000-times-epa-limits.1620309/
( @MaryJanet )

You can put anything under the nesting material that isolates. But I would prefer something more natural. I know a guy who claims a clump of grass complete with roots and sand is perfect.

 

[Shadrach]

I know a guy who claims a clump of grass complete with roots and sand is perfect.

That would be me.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...e-make-a-sitting-hens-job-so-difficult.74389/

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Ex Batts good morning one and all!

Tea is ready.

Temperature is in the 60s mostly clear.

Have a great day!

 

[MrsNorthie]

First congrats with Fret being broody again!

Second a question about the rubber. Are you sure it’s not made from recycled car tyres? There is a discussion going on about the toxics in it: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-water-30-mg-l-2000-times-epa-limits.1620309/
( @MaryJanet )

You can put anything under the nesting material that isolates. But I would prefer something more natural. I know a guy who claims a clump of grass complete with roots and sand is perfect.

Based on Shad's article and Dobielover's article this is exactly what I intend to use..lol

 

[fuzzi]

3 boys, 1 girl?

The one with the green band may be a girl. Black chick is definitely a male, and his hatchmates, blue and purple banded chicks, appear to also be males.

I'd love to have at least two pullets from the hatch...

Here's my "boy or girl" thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/bantams-boys-or-girls.1620982/

 

[LaurenRitz]

That would be me.

I currently have a broody hen sitting on six eggs. I tried more, but I brought them inside as they ended up on the coop floor in the first few days and she ended up with 6. She is currently on day 17.

The others are in the incubator and hopefully she'll accept them.

The nesting boxes I use are big plant pots. They are of course curved on the side (bottom) and I provide woodchips. The first thing she did was push all the wood chips out. After reading your article, it seems she wasn't trying to discard either eggs or chips, but trying to arrange things on a curved surface.

Previous broody hens have nested behind the pots or in the corner of the coop, as you said on bare dirt.

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.

I could probably put another four inches of dirt or sand in the broody box, although I used sand because it drains more easily. This area can get very muddy.

What changes would you suggest I make? When should a new broody be introduced to the broody box? I can put her in there without a "nesting box," but I'm afraid she'll break if she started in the nesting box.

You said you introduce the broody and her eggs to the broody box late in the process? How do you handle that?

 

[BDutch]

You said you introduce the broody and her eggs to the broody box late in the process? How do you handle that?

It will be interesting to read what Shad will reply. If you like you can read my view on this too. I never used an incubator (and Shad didn’t use one either on his previous hatch with Fret).

Because I don’t have a rooster I buy hatchery eggs from someone who does. And give the marked hatchery eggs to a broody after sitting a couple / several days (reliable). I have Dutch bantams and the max number of eggs they can cover is 7 Dutch eggs or about 5 larger bantam eggs.

 

[LaurenRitz]

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.

 

[lightm]

Foxy, an almost 2 year old hen, tidbit twice today. This afternoon, she even did a rooster dance for meimei, with wing drop

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

Foxy is a very good and hyper chicken.

 

[Shadrach]

First congrats with Fret being broody again!

Second a question about the rubber. Are you sure it’s not made from recycled car tyres? There is a discussion going on about the toxics in it: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-water-30-mg-l-2000-times-epa-limits.1620309/
( @MaryJanet )

You can put anything under the nesting material that isolates. But I would prefer something more natural. I know a guy who claims a clump of grass complete with roots and sand is perfect.

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.
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.