Broody hen needed asap

[billy1bob2uk 10]

hi all hope 1 of you can help me I got 10, day old chick on order should be ready Sunday to put under our hen but she has just passed away she was over 10years old (last of our first chickens) anyone got a broody hen I can buy or borrow ? must have been sat on egg far at lest 1 or 2 weeks so she will take straight to them ty all far reading , heeley catlane Mearsbrook areas

[parcher 10]

Not got a broody but all you need is a desk lamp (preferably with a red light and a flexible neck) and a box to put them in. Keep them indoors on kitchen paper, with chick food and water and they will be fine. My hatches all start off that way. When they are cold, they will huddle under the desk lamp.

[parcher 10]

Forgot to mention, you would need to keep them under the heat for around 4 weeks, tailing off until they are off heat at about 6 weeks. I suspect that if you borrowed/bought a broody, the move would probably break her broodiness, although you could probably slip the chicks under one who is already in situ. Do that at night and with the chicks no more than 1-2 days old. Personally, I would do the desk lamp trick.

[billy1bob2uk 10]

ty parcher, her in doors will not let me keep at home lol and I lied to her and told her 4weeks:roll:

[Chez2 10]

I use a dull emitter (ceramic bulb) not a red lamp. With that I use a pygmy light bulb to simulate day and night. You can use a normal light bulb and put it in a ceramic flower pot so they snuggle up to the warm ceramic pot.

 

If you haven't got a spare room in the house have you got a garage or a shed where you can keep the chicks in a plastic brooder box? What coop/shed space had you set aside for the broody hen? Can't you put a cardboard box within that coop to rear the chicks in? I also rear chicks using an electric hen in a small rabbit cage type coop, its like one of those cheap hen houses off ebay. Run an extension cable from the house and keep the cage somewhere sheltered and covered.

 

I have six flippin' hens I'm trying to unbroody but these are very large pure breeds that I bred last year. I'm not really after selling any of them.

 

If all else fails can't you get the seller to rear them for you and charge you a fee? The going rate is usually £1 per chick per week.

 

A hen only doesn't have to be sat on pot eggs for a long time if shes a reliable broody. You can fool her if you give her day olds.

[parcher 10]

I must admit mine are in the spare room in rabbit cages for the first six weeks. I started with just a lamp but now I have graduated to electric hens.

[Rainrescue 10]

There is a lady local to us who does free range chicken farming- and all are well looked after. If you are still stuck - i can pm you her contact details. she's rotherham/m18 way

[Chez2 10]

A plastic storage box is fine as a brooder. I know chicks make a bit of dust but a plastic box isn't too gross to have in the house for a week or so. After that you can supply heat in the coop where you had planned to put them with the broody. Just make sure you don't use any non stick pans near them or heat anything rubber. The fumes from these have been known to kill chicks. I always wash my chick mats first to make sure there are no rubber fumes.

 

For got to add.....

 

I put my chicks out at three weeks old and they come on much faster and are much stronger than chicks kept in a brooder for a longer period of time. I found this out by accident when they were getting bored and pecking each other. I have various small coops with attached runs that I can still supply heat to.

Edited April 26, 2012 by Chez2

[parcher 10]

Thats interesting - with heat still? I hang on to mine indoors till 6 weeks, then separate out the male and female and they all go out at 8 weeks (except for a couple of Jersey Giants who outgrew their cage much sooner!)

[Chez2 10]

Yes, I will have a quick chat to you about it on Sunday. They grow a little slower but thats not a bad thing. I don't use red lamps as that can cause vitamin deficiency and cause them to grow too quick as they eat 24/7. If you don't give light at night they sleep and don't eat. Thats more natural and growth is steady.

 

Chicks kept on heat all the time feather slower and grow quicker whereas chicks that can run about and go back to heat when they need it grow slower and feather up quicker. Mine have grown stronger eating grass and bugs in a small run than those eating good quality chick crumb. I know cocci is a risk but I've been fine so far.

 

I have large birds too, not too different to Jersey giants in size. Yours might just have the edge size wise. I keep LF Croad Lanshans and can't hold a mature cockerel without both hands and my arms.