I need advice with hatching from a broody hen!

[humblehillsfarm]

My thoughts were to give the chance to let the chicks have starter feed and mama as well. I am not sure how to keep the other chickens from eating the starter feed and I really didn't want to switch my 9 other hens over to grower feed since they eat a pretty high protein diet from free ranging as is. I witness a lot of worm noodles get eaten. Any suggestions to have an area accessible by chicks and not by the others? Two of my other adults are prone to soft shelled eggs as well and I already have to monitor their calcium.

I should note the hen's regular feed would not be accessible to the chicks because it is a hanging feeder. I wonder if I could put some chicken wire with larger holes around the feeder? Big enough for the chicks to get through and not the hens?

 

[Ghosty]

Aw is she a welsummer?? My little welsummer is one of my favorite hens. She went broody one day and when I took her eggs I guess she decided she was calling it quits. I manually let my hen in and out of her enclosure twice a day. Her routine is usually to gobble up grass as well! After grass she either drinks or takes a dust bath then goes to eat and I let her back in her enclosure. She knows where it is so I just open the door to let her in. I have food and water in there for her but she largely ignored it. But yeah after all of my anxiety and fear of her getting on the wrong nest, all future broodies will have their own space!

She is a hatch game hen. A good momma. She gets a little feisty. She was mad when I took the bad eggs. The chicks are leiper games. I had a couple welsummers when I started my flock and both died at lay. One of my sapphire gems went broody, and she would lay an enormous poop, and then gobble down the biggest leaves of yard lettuce she could find.

 

[aart]

My thoughts were to give the chance to let the chicks have starter feed and mama as well. I am not sure how to keep the other chickens from eating the starter feed and I really didn't want to switch my 9 other hens over to grower feed since they eat a pretty high protein diet from free ranging as is. I witness a lot of worm noodles get eaten. Any suggestions to have an area accessible by chicks and not by the others? Two of my other adults are prone to soft shelled eggs as well and I already have to monitor their calcium.

I should note the hen's regular feed would not be accessible to the chicks because it is a hanging feeder. I wonder if I could put some chicken wire with larger holes around the feeder? Big enough for the chicks to get through and not the hens?

I feed all my birds a 20% 'all flock' feed from hatch to harvest.
I use a creep feeder for the chicks to be able to eat and drink unmolested.
Bottom wires are squeezed to make every other 2" opening a bit wider.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

We have chirps! Mama has become extra pecky so all I could see was one unhatched. I am so excited for the morning to see if we have any chicks!

I feed all my birds a 20% 'all flock' feed from hatch to harvest.
I use a creep feeder for the chicks to be able to eat and drink unmolested.
Bottom wires are squeezed to make every other 2" opening a bit wider.
View attachment 2107695

That looks like a good setup and something like I was envisioning. I have some extra fence like that laying around.

 

[aart]

We have chirps! Mama has become extra pecky so all I could see was one unhatched. I am so excited for the morning to see if we have any chicks!

Squuueeeee!

 

[humblehillsfarm]

The photo quality is terrible because I couldn’t hold the light take the photo and lift mama all at the same time but babes are in the egg but unzipped? Im going to let nature take its course but I’m very anxious!

 

[ariri30]

My thoughts were to give the chance to let the chicks have starter feed and mama as well. I am not sure how to keep the other chickens from eating the starter feed and I really didn't want to switch my 9 other hens over to grower feed since they eat a pretty high protein diet from free ranging as is. I witness a lot of worm noodles get eaten. Any suggestions to have an area accessible by chicks and not by the others? Two of my other adults are prone to soft shelled eggs as well and I already have to monitor their calcium.

I should note the hen's regular feed would not be accessible to the chicks because it is a hanging feeder. I wonder if I could put some chicken wire with larger holes around the feeder? Big enough for the chicks to get through and not the hens?

I have two broody due tomorrow and Tuesday and I’m having the same predicament. I have two hens that I have problems with thin shells and I was feeding them all flock raiser and egg shells and oyster shells on the side but they won’t eat it and I have to feed them layer feed. I lost one hen due to this issue. She got egg bound. It was a terrible experience

 

[humblehillsfarm]

I have two broody due tomorrow and Tuesday and I’m having the same predicament. I have two hens that I have problems with thin shells and I was feeding them all flock raiser and egg shells and oyster shells on the side but they won’t eat it and I have to feed them layer feed. I lost one hen due to this issue. She got egg bound. It was a terrible experience

I am sorry to hear that. My hens won’t eat free choice oyster shells either. They go entirely ignored. I just mix tiny amounts into their food if it seems their shells are getting thin. I know it’s not what some people would do but for me it seems to work. Good luck with you’re two mama hens! I am full of anticipation right now! I’m trying to keep myself away from the coop haha.

 

[ariri30]

I am sorry to hear that. My hens won’t eat free choice oyster shells either. They go entirely ignored. I just mix tiny amounts into their food if it seems their shells are getting thin. I know it’s not what some people would do but for me it seems to work. Good luck with you’re two mama hens! I am full of anticipation right now! I’m trying to keep myself away from the coop haha.

Thanks. I’m afraid to add the oyster shells directly to the feed since I see people advice against it. May I ask you you add it to the layer feed or to the all flock raiser? If it’s working for you it might work for me. I have a drake and three roosters and I have no other choice it seems

 

[ariri30]

I am sorry to hear that. My hens won’t eat free choice oyster shells either. They go entirely ignored. I just mix tiny amounts into their food if it seems their shells are getting thin. I know it’s not what some people would do but for me it seems to work. Good luck with you’re two mama hens! I am full of anticipation right now! I’m trying to keep myself away from the coop haha.

Omg. Like you I have one in a cage and I just went to let her out and 3 of the seven eggs hatched. Still wet so it probably just happened! This is awesome!