Hi Ladies, I recently was given 3 hens and a rooster by my neighbor. We have built a nice little home and I came home to find an egg the very first day they were here . I have a few questions though. It has been about 3 weeks now and one of the hens is continuing to lay on the eggs in one of the boxes. There are 6 boxes and they all seem to lay in the same one. Why? One day there was one egg in a separate box so I took it out and put it with her she now has 5 under her. She is in there all the time. Is this her "wanting" to be a mommy? How do I know if they are fertile? How long will it take for them to hatch? Do I have to separate the chicks with the mom from the others? I am sure I have more questions we'll start with these for now. Thanks for any help
I'm so busy I don't know if I just found a rope or lost my horse!
Chickens can be such silly gals - do you have wooden or plastic eggs in the nesting boxes?? I found if you place an wooden egg in each nest they then tend to spread out their laying. I do have a six hole one and someday's I will find three hens squeezed into one whole at the same time trying to lay their eggs while the other nests are wide open and empty. Silly gals~~then I have two who refuse to put their eggs in the nest's and lay them on the ground next to the boxes - guess they don't like enclosed spaces...
I guess that is why we love our hens - it is always something... Good luck with them.
Grace Gerber Larkspur Funny Farm and Fiber Art Studio
Danielle, chicken eggs take 21 days to hatch. You could have 500 nest boxes for that many hens and they will all want the same box. I have seen mine actually waiting in line for thei favorite box. And sometimes they get impatient and there will be 3 in a box together. Theya re so silly. 6 boxes is too many for just 3 hens. They only need one box for just 3. But if one goes broody, which is what that one hen is doing, then she will take that box and the others will try to keep laying in that nest too. So she will end up with tons of eggs. So what I have done is take all but about 8 eggs and mark them with an X and check each day for new eggs and take them out. You could also put her in a cage or crate to keep the others out. It seems like when one of mine go broody the others tend to stop laying. So separating the broody hens helps the others keep laying. I hope all this makes sense.
And if you don't want her to go broody you can take her and dunk her rear end in a bucket of really cold water to cool her down. You might have to do that several times a day before she gets the picture. It does not hurt her at al
Bahahaha .... Kris that is so silly... I don't think I could do that. So today when I get home I will mark the eggs there and remove any after today. So when they hatch do I have to separate them the coop is 16 x 16 and tall enough for me to walk in. My neighbor always separates them out but they have a smaller area. Sorry, I don't think I could do the cold butt chicken thing. I am still giggling just picturing it.
I'm so busy I don't know if I just found a rope or lost my horse!
Most of the time it's ok to leave them with the other hens because that momma won't let anything near her babies. Not even you, so watch out! I feel sorry for anything that gets in her way! I think for just a few hens that your area is big enough to leave them all in together. She will teach them all they need to know and they will grow fast. Good luck!
don't worry about separating the momma & newly hatched eggs from the others....when 'Mother" had hers there was 10 other hens & a rooster in the coop & she did a fine job of protecting them...plus if you separate them then you have to re-introduce them all again & then can have problems...what I do is once the chicks are hatched I set up a rabbit cage that is open so momma & babies can come & go as they want & until the babies can get up on a purch momma will stay down with them...I also put in a small bowl of feed for them & a small waterer for them so if they need it during the night or early morning they have it....my coop is only 10 by 6 so you have more than enough room with yours for all of them once they hatch.....I have 4 nesting boxes & they all use just one & yes mine too will wait until the others are done to go in...reminds me of women in a public bathroom...lol...Michele'
OK.... Yesterday I marked all the eggs that were in the box so I could continue to collect the others with no mistakes. Well, today I when I went out to gather the eggs that were laid today momma would NOT let me in the box. The last couple of days she has flown out as soon as I get close. Today she let me pet her but when she had enough she started pecking me. I guess I will try again tomorrow. It has only been about a week so I guess we will see. :)
I'm so busy I don't know if I just found a rope or lost my horse!
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts
Posted - May 27 2011 : 06:11:14 AM
your mama is doing her job. i usually put mine in a hutch. then they are separate from where i go to gather eggs 2 or 3 times a day. she wants a quiet dark safe place for her babies. she thinks you are taking her babies. can you set her in there but in a dog crate like kris said or a hutch. so she is alone but not alone. i hope she keeps sitting for you. if she decides its not safe she may abandon the clutch of eggs. hope it goes well for you. i pull mine and keep separate till the chicks are feathered out. just my way. then i reintroduce them to the flock. happy days sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm farm girl #1014
New chicken mom
Posted - May 24 2011 : 5:35:12 PM
. I have a few questions though. It has been about 3 weeks now and one of the hens is continuing to lay on the eggs in one of the boxes. There are 6 boxes and they all seem to lay in the same one. Why? One day there was one egg in a separate box so I took it out and put it with her she now has 5 under her. She is in there all the time. Is this her "wanting" to be a mommy? How do I know if they are fertile? How long will it take for them to hatch? Do I have to separate the chicks with the mom from the others? I am sure I have more questions we'll start with these for now. Thanks for any help
