GirlsHuntToo
Professional Chicken Chaser
Hi all! So am asking for advice and thoughts on my first time broody hen plan. I've never let any of my hens be broody before, so this is all new to me.
My Speckled Sussex hen, Speckles, went broody 2 days ago. She has been setting steady since, only coming out a few times a day to eat, drink, and poop. She has a calm and docile temperament toward me and the other baby chicks that I have just had. She doesn't bite me when collecting the eggs from under her. She is almost 15 months old. Hatch date March 7th of last year.
I only have three adult roosters now, and the rest hens and babies... thought I would add that.
My plan is this:
Letting her set for three more days, making sure she really wants to be a mom. If she does, moving her into a 4ft. x 4ft. kiddie pool brooder, also about 4 feet tall, with cage around the sides and on the top, with perches, in my garage. Also, a heat lamp avaible for babies well mom is out. Also, hanging feeder and waterer about 2 inches off the floor in the kiddle pool brooder. When the babies get a bit older, I have a 10 ft x 10 ft pen outside with fencing over the top with a tarp attached on a 1/4 of the pen for shade and protection from the rain that they can be in during the day. When chicks are fully feathered moving them to a nice coop with fenced off/covered area, just for babies.
Since I only have 3 roosters, my last hatch was not successful with only about a 1/2 of the eggs being fertile and 1/4 of that not making it, so only ended up getting 16 babies - 9 being roosters. So I was thinking ordering in some chicks from Meyer Hatchery or getting some from Tractor Supply because I don't want her to waste her time setting on dud eggs and boys that I will end up butchering!
So my questions are: Will this work? Does this sound like a good plan? Will she except those chicks? I need advice and tips!
Thanks so much!
My Speckled Sussex hen, Speckles, went broody 2 days ago. She has been setting steady since, only coming out a few times a day to eat, drink, and poop. She has a calm and docile temperament toward me and the other baby chicks that I have just had. She doesn't bite me when collecting the eggs from under her. She is almost 15 months old. Hatch date March 7th of last year.
I only have three adult roosters now, and the rest hens and babies... thought I would add that.
My plan is this:
Letting her set for three more days, making sure she really wants to be a mom. If she does, moving her into a 4ft. x 4ft. kiddie pool brooder, also about 4 feet tall, with cage around the sides and on the top, with perches, in my garage. Also, a heat lamp avaible for babies well mom is out. Also, hanging feeder and waterer about 2 inches off the floor in the kiddle pool brooder. When the babies get a bit older, I have a 10 ft x 10 ft pen outside with fencing over the top with a tarp attached on a 1/4 of the pen for shade and protection from the rain that they can be in during the day. When chicks are fully feathered moving them to a nice coop with fenced off/covered area, just for babies.
Since I only have 3 roosters, my last hatch was not successful with only about a 1/2 of the eggs being fertile and 1/4 of that not making it, so only ended up getting 16 babies - 9 being roosters. So I was thinking ordering in some chicks from Meyer Hatchery or getting some from Tractor Supply because I don't want her to waste her time setting on dud eggs and boys that I will end up butchering!
So my questions are: Will this work? Does this sound like a good plan? Will she except those chicks? I need advice and tips!
Thanks so much!