One 'Cluckingham Palace' Poultry Coop installed. CHECK!
​...BUT many backyards are missing the essential emergency quarantine or broody coop.

As a poultry pet sitter, I always fear one of my clients' birds becoming sick, injured or broody with no spare coop for isolation from the rest of the flock. In most cases, there is nothing I could even use to improvise with!

But even when I am not there as your pet sitter, having a quarantine coop will serve you well. No-one ever regrets having one ready.

Here is a great guide on simple-to-make quarantine/broody coop ideas that could work in your backyard.


Quarantine coops are used for:

1. Sick and injured birds
2. Broody isolation units
3. Hatching fertilised eggs
4. Introducing new chickens to the yard before integrating with the existing flock - preventing spread of diseases/pests

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WHAT CAN BE USED?

• ​Large metal dog crate
• Pop up pet tent
• Omlet Eglu (elevated height or ground level)
• Mini chicken coop
• Baby cot conversion
• Trampoline - underneath fenced off
• Mini constructions with open mesh/run
• Arched weldmesh and timber construction with tarpaulin
• Old fashioned raised tank stand, fitted with a chicken wire frame door.
• Outside dining table wrapped with chicken wire.
• Combination of any of the above

QUARANTINE FACTORS

• Keep the quarantine coop as far away as possible from the main poultry coop to prevent spread of disease.
• Quarantine unwell birds at the first sign of sickness/injury to prevent spread or attack.
• Have one or two plastic tarpaulins ready.
  These are used for covering the quarantine coop if the sick bird has a contagious respiratory condition or able to keep the drafty winds/rain out.
• It must be fully cleanable and accessible.
• Food and water containers must be able fit within the structure.
• OBEY the length of time that quarantine needs to be. Do not be tempted to release the birds too early.
• If you have free ranging chickens that might wander over to the quarantine coop, add extra fencing to keep them away. The further away, the better.

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BROODY COOP ISOLATION FACTORS
As broody hens are only going through a normal hormonal phase, the purpose of a broody coop is to "break" her out of being broody and help her resume normal free ranging and egg laying again.

• The broody coop is NOT for overnight use - only day time isolation - to keep her away from the nesting box.
• Broody isolation must NOT have any nesting boxes.
• Supply clean food and water.
• Keep the this isolation coop in a cool shaded position.
  Grassy areas are highly recommended to bring down a broody's core temperature which aims "breaking" the broodiness.
• Creating a coop for a broody that needs to be broken really ONLY needs fencing.
  An elaborate structure is usually unnecessary.

HATCHING WITH A BROODY FACTORS
Use the quarantine coop for hatching fertilised eggs. Be aware, that if sickness does occur with any other birds in the flock that another quarantine coop will need to sourced.

• Make best use of old trampoline frames.
  This will keep nesting hen and chicks safe from predators and other poultry that are likely to attack them.
• The nesting area must be warm and secure. Mother hen must have access to food and water near to her while sitting.
• Hatching coops need more run area than a standard quarantine.
  Explore the appropriateness of your yard before proceeding. Do you have room?
• Chicks integrate into the main flock around 16-18 weeks of age.
  BE AWARE: This means up to 18 weeks of a quarantine coop in use.

PESTS AND CLEANING FACTORS

• Clean the quarantine coop THOROUGHLY before and after use.
• Food and water sources must be kept clean - washed out after use.
• After use, sweep, scrub down all surfaces, discard ALL nesting materials into a garbage bag for the bin.
• Spray with Virkon disinfectant throughout (after diseased birds have left quarantine).
• Spray with Malaban Wash or Maldisan 50 if mites and lice have been on the birds.
• Wear different boots into the quarantine coop to prevent transferring diseased matter out to the main flock.
• Use the quarantine coop for all the flock when thoroughly cleaning out the main chicken coop for its annual clean.

Squatting

​Squatting is a sign of submission. The chicken is acknowledging that you are at the top of the pecking order. That position is usually reserved for the rooster, so feel very honoured. After giving her a stroking pat she is very likely to give a little feather shake. The reason is, if you were a rooster, it would give the semen a shake down into her reproductive tract to aid fertilisation of her eggs.

Hens may also squat for another hen because they are bowing in submission to acknowledge that hen is now above her; in a plea to her not to attack.

​Squatting also indicates that the chicken is at an egg laying age.
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Take squatting as a sign of friendliness, not a plea for a rooster.
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Pecking at you

​Pecking is often mistaken for aggression, when in actual fact it’s grooming.

Hens often groom their best friend amongst the other hens as well as any roosters they adore.

But there is another reason why they particularly like to peck at humans and that is because of a phosphorus in our clothing. Birds can see light emitted from certain chemicals that we cannot see in our eyes light spectrum. Many bugs give off a chemical illumination which encourages birds to locate and eat them. Black and blue clothing seem to attract chickens the most as this makes the phosphorus stand out the most.
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Pecking at you while on the nest is for a different reason, and that is merely only to protect her eggs. The peck is usually not as violent as we imagine. It’s more of a shock than anything. Always place your hand under a hen with confidence and don’t linger. She will submit to the eggs being taken from under her.
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Dust Bathing and Sun Bathing

Dust and Sun Bathing are natural and healthy behavioural characteristics in poultry. It is not a neurological disturbance.

Dust bathing helps to get rid of pests from between their feathers and can provide a cooling effect in summer, especially to their belly and legs. That is why their dust bathing areas are often quite deep.

Sun bathing allows light onto the belly and under the wings to promote more intact of vitamin D which helps with calcium absorption in their diet and keeps their bones strong and healthy. They never stay too long in the sun.
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Both of these behaviours are instinctual and are observed within a week or two from hatching. This is not taught behaviour. Chicks are likely to dust bath in their wood shavings in the brooder even though they have not grown feathers as yet.
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Broodiness

When a hen refuses to leave her nesting box, growls and squats down low, this is what is known as being broody. Certain breeds and personalities are more likely to go broody than others. Some will be regular broodies. Usually it is set off by hot days. The first sign will be a large broody poo, two to three days before it starts.

Being broody does not mean she has to have fertile eggs under her to hatch, nor is it a plea for a rooster.

It is just a matter of course for many hens which needs to broken quickly for the sake of her health. Leaving her stay broody will cause her to lose body weight which can cause her immune system to become weakened and is more likely to become infested with lice and mites. Broodiness is especially dangerous during severe hot weather, where dehydration and coop heat can cause her to die on the nest.
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Lock her out of the nesting box area. Placing her in a fenced off area with shade and cool grass with only food and water for the day will be sufficient. Return her to the coop at night to roost. In the morning, return her to her grassy area until her broodiness has ceased. By cooling her, it lowers her body temperature which will stop her broodiness.
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Throwing straw onto their back

Some hens may sitting in a nesting box or walking around picking up a piece of straw and placing it on her back.
​This crazy behaviour is known as nesting.

It’s another indicator that a hen is thinking of going broody.

Noisy chicken but won’t go in to lay

​Cheerleading chickens are the hens who love to encourage the other in hens in their nesting boxes to lay their eggs. She is not interested in laying her own egg. She is only acting as encouragement. Placing her into a nesting box will only result in her jumping straight back out. The more hens you have, the more noticeable this behaviour will become at egg laying time.
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Feather Pulling

Feather Pulling is when a chicken pulls out her own feathers, and there are two main reasons.

Moulting season is the most common reason. It even sounds like the hen is unscrewing her feathers (click-click-click sound). She is helping some of her feathers to come out. Many fall out by themselves, but during daily preening they are able to identify those feathers that need a little more help to come out, to let the new feather quills come through.
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Nesting to hatch chicks is the other reason. Mother hen really does feather the nest. These feathers are soft and downy and come from underneath her, from her belly and lower chest. Many broody hens also lack feathers underneath as their body heat encourages the feathers to come loose.
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Crowing Hen

There are some rare occasions when hens will attempt to crow like a rooster.

This is because of either assuming the position of flock protector or due to a hormonal imbalance. Once crowing starts, she is unlikely to lay. It would be worthwhile to have her checked out by a vet. Sometimes hormonal imbalances can be caused by a tumour in the reproductive tract. More common amongst ISA Brown (New Hampshire X) hens.
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Does a broody chicken scare you? No time to deal with their broody hormones? Just want a hen who gets on with the job of egg laying and strutting about the yard looking lovely? Then this is the list of chicken breeds for you.

There is no guarantee that these breeds will never go broody, be great at laying or even as friendly as you would like because every chicken breed is uniquely different.

All of the breeds in this list are available in Australia.

​Rarely Broody Chicken Breeds

1. Ancona
2. Andalusian
3. Barred Rock
4. Langshan
5. Croad Langshan
6. Barnevelder
7. Campine
8. Sebright
9. Faverolles
10. Hamburgh
11. Legbar
12. Leghorn
13. Lavenvelder
14. Minorca
15. New Hampshire
16. ISA Brown (aka New Hampshire x)
17. Polish
18. Rhode Island Red
19. Rosecomb
20. Sicillian Buttercup
21. Spanish
22. Sultan
23. Derbyshire Red Cap
24. Appenzeller Spitzenhauben

​Some breeds in this list are considered to be Rare Breeds in Australia.
There are breeders who are currently working on breeding up numbers and improving stock and bloodlines.
From time to time these breeds are made available to the public who are eager to support these breeds.

More information on Rare Chicken Breeds in Australia:

AvGen Poultry

Rare Poultry Breeders Association

Crested Breeds Club of Australia

Research more about chicken breeds through this great Chicken Breeds Chart from Backyard Poultry's website.

This year I bought my very first true bantams which are also called ornamentals, and they are so cute! So I thought I would give you a little insight into what the difference is between a standard bantam and a true bantam as there is quite a difference.

There are benefits to both types of bantam types and they are great alternative for people who would love to own chickens but don't have very much space.

Bantams are great for limited space, they are easier and lighter to handle and often do less damage to the garden.

Bantam chickens are far smaller than a standard sized chicken they also lay much smaller eggs. The eggs sizes can vary a little amongst the bantam breeds so you will need to adjust your recipes accordingly. They taste exactly the same as a regular egg and come come in lots of different egg shell colours according to breed.

Bantam

A regular bantam is a small variety of a larger breed. In fact, they can be of almost any breed.

A common breed is the Australorp which can come in three (3) different sizes.

1. Purebred - full size up to 4kg, can become broody
2. Utility/Commercial - standard middle sized layer, similar in size to ISA Browns - lacking broodiness
3. Bantam - weighing up to 1kg but with broodiness of a purebred

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• Their eggs are small but they are much more regular layers throughout the week.
• Depending on the breed, they can be just as friendly or as flighty as a standard sized breed.

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Silkies

Silkies are in a category all of their own in the bantam world.
Yes, there are standard and bantam versions of the Silkie breed too, but they vary in just a few hundred grams.

• The reason they are called Silkie is because of the silky feel of their plumage. Their feathers are not the same as other breeds, more like fluffy than a standard feather. For this reason, they do not do so well in wet conditions and can look very sodden in a downpour of rain. Their feathers do not have effective waterproofing.
• The white varieties are the hardest to keep clean looking.
• There are a few different colour to chose from.
• The Silkie breed also has extra toes and black skin underneath all their plumage.
• They are excellent mothers too, which makes them prone to broodiness.
• They are difficult to sex until they are around 18 weeks of age when the rooster will develop a very noticeable comb just above the beak.
• Even though many books extol their friendly nature, often they can be quite difficult to catch.
  
• They are light weights and are very popular amongst city chicken owners.
• Great around the garden, mild on the plants while foraging.

The first time a new chicken owner sees one of their hens go broody can send many owners on a frantic hunt to purchase some fertilised eggs to pop under her...even if they never intended to ever go down the path of hatching chicks.

Yes, I'm talking to you, dear chooky owners.

I want to assure you that just because a hen goes broody it does not mean that you HAVE TO give her eggs to hatch.

Chickens that go regularly broody such as Sussex, Wyandottes and Silkies can drive many of us crazy, wondering when they will ever just get on with regular egg laying.

But letting them hatch some chicks will not break their persistent broody habit.

Those chickies will soon be turned out by mama hen by around 9 weeks of age so that mama hen can get some body weight back on...before she goes off on another one of her broody episodes. Well, it may or may not happen so quickly after a hatch, but when you have a very persistent broody, it comes around quick enough.

What sets off a Broody Hen?
First of all, its down to breed and individual personality. Some breeds are highly likely to go regularly broody, whereas other breeds have a long stretch between broody episodes. Other breeds may not show any signs of ever being the broody type.

The outside influences on a hen that can make her become broody include:

• Hot weather
• Seeing another hen broody
• Rooster encouragement
• Leaving eggs in the nesting boxes for too long

Body Temperature
When a hen becomes broody, her body temperature rises significantly. She becomes the incubator. So when you pick her up her heat can really be felt radiating from underneath her.

To help 'break' a broody we need to bring down her body temperature over a few days. Keeping her out of a nesting box is essential, so popping her into a fenced off area that is shaded with a cool grassy area is by far the nicest way to help cool her down.

Hens that are not removed from the nesting box will maintain their heat which is a high energy job. This is why we see a broody hen with a trance-like look in their eyes. All their energy is concentrated to keep their heat going. They will come out from time to time for a drink and something to eat, but they return to their nest fast to keep their heat up.

With all this expended energy, the hen will lose a significant amount of body condition. So allowing her to keep sitting without being 'broken' or hatching chicks can result in a very under condition chicken that will be prone to more pests, infections and diseases.

Some owners can be a little too kind to their broody hen and allowed them to stay for a month or more in their nests. Please do not let them sit for that long.

Nutrition
Broodiness takes a lot of energy out of a hen so replacing it with the right nutrition is very important, especially so for the long term broodies that were allowed to sit for too long.

• ​Protein helps build muscle again.
• Essential vitamins and minerals need replacing through products like Livamol powder in their feed or a water soluble type.
• Iron can be increased through molasses, either in dried form in their feed or as a little liquid black strap molasses stirred through a bowl of porridge twice a week.
• Plain Greek Yoghurt is great for their gut. Getting the good bacteria in there will help them fight of illnesses better as well as good source of protein.

Signs that a hen will go broody
There is one very good indicator that one of your hens is about to become broody: the broody POO!
These droppings are much bigger than a normal one, and they usually occur a few days before you find a girl hunched down in her nest with a mean look in her eye, growling.

If there is another hen who is already acting broody, you may find that the hen that visits her the most is most likely to be the next girl who will go broody.

Yes, broodiness can be 'catchy'.

​Laying Eggs
In the early stages of broodiness, some hens do still lay eggs. But if they go on for too long, she will stop laying for a time.

​Her egg laying can be suspended anywhere from one to three weeks. Remember that it takes 21 days to hatch chicks.

If a hen goes for a hatch with fertile eggs she will take longer to get back into an egg laying routine as she will be a busy mum with chicks gathered under her.

BUT I WANT REALLY WANT TO HATCH CHICKS!

​OK, dear chooky owner! I hear you.
Chicks are so gorgeous and you have now talked yourself into letting one of your hens go for a hatching.

First - the reality check
Just remember that there is a 50/50 chance of boys and girls in every hatch. Some hatches can produce more of one than the other. Are you prepared for this? Do you have a plan for the boys and room for more girls?

Where to buy
Search online through sites like:

• BackyardPoultry.com/noticeboard
• Gumtree.com.au
• Facebook breeding groups
• Poultry forums

Breeds are important
Make sure that you choose a breed that you would like to have. Lot of research first.
The breed does not need to be the same as your current hens.
​Not every breed will suit you, your hens or your yard.
Combining small bantams with large dual purpose hens is often a bad combination. Flighty breeds need higher fencing.

Eggs or Chicks
Yes, you can pop some fertile eggs or newly hatched chicks under a broody hen.
There is a chance of rejection especially of the chicks, so play it by ear and be ready with a back up plan.
Hens can attack and kill the hatching chicks. (From personal experienced, happened twice in one year)

Rejection Back-up Plan
If the broody hen rejects the eggs, have an incubator ready.
If the broody hen rejects the chicks, have a brooder box ready with a heat source, wood shavings, chick crumble food and water.
Not all hens make great mothers, so be prepared.
The chicks NEED A HEAT SOURCE up until 8-9 weeks of age.

Chick Food Source
Chicks will require Chick Crumble from Day 1 as well as fresh clean water every day.

Transition to Pullet Shed
If hatching didn't go well with mother hen and you resorted to using a brooder box, then the chicks will need to be transitioned out to the yard to their own coop - the Pullet House - at 8-9 weeks of age. They will be able to cope with the pecking order around 16-18 weeks of age, so can join the other hens then.


Best of luck!
​Please let us know if you tried to 'break' your broody successfully or if you tried for a hatch.

It can be a real eye opener moving from hybrids to pure bred chickens when your first hen or hen/s start to become broody. Broodiness is a strong characteristic of many pure-breds, especially amongst the meat/egg hens.

Spring is the most common time for broodiness to occur although it can happen any time throughout the year.

Depending on what you are hoping to do with your flock it can be blessing or a curse. If you are hoping to breed chicks from your girls, then lucky you to have such great little mothers. But if you just need them to get on with their daily egg laying, then broodiness may present itself as an inconvenience.

The characteristics of a broody hen consist of her constantly sitting in her layer box refusing to come out to eat and drink, flatten herself out, fluffing up her feathers, making a growling noise and look mean.

You've heard of the term 'feathering one's nest', well that's exactly what a broody hen will do. She will start picking feathers from her chest and undercarriage area to line her nesting box. So do not be alarmed if she has developed some bald spots, they will all grow back again.

Many do have a nasty peck, but don't be scared to pick her up gently around her wings against her body to move her out of the nesting box. Wear thick gardening gloves when picking her up, if necessary.

Broody hens do not lay and it may take up to 21 days before she will start to lay again. Every breed is different, some bounce back into laying much sooner, but in order to get her to start laying and stop her broodiness we have to change her behaviour on Day 1.

Broodiness can encourage the other hens to also become broody. So the quicker we fix it the better the whole flock will be.

If you do not have a door for the nesting box area, you will need to separate the broody hen from the flock. I recommend some temporary pet fencing that is high enough to stop chickens from jumping over. Even attaching a small tarp over the top for shade and to keep pigeons out is a great idea. Include water and food and make sure you have set up the fencing in a cool shaded spot in the garden.

If you do not have a temporary pet enclosure, use a large pet transport box/cage.

Metal 6-Panel Pet Enclosure Playpen

Available on eBay through OZ-Auction

It is important to keep the chicken's belly cool to help her calm down in her broody state, so I always recommend that she be kept in a shady grassy area. Her hormones will elevate her temperature, so reducing her temperature will help to normalise her hormones.

The biggest problem with a broody hen is her refusal to eat and drink properly or at all.
If she is sitting on a clutch of eggs for hatching then we do need to provide her with food and water in small quantities in her nesting box so that she does not fatigue or dehydrate.

Dehydration in a chicken can lead to a quick death, but when broodiness sets in they seem to last a little longer, but my rule is to never let them go without water for their overall well-being.

How to fix a broody hen

• Remove her from the nesting box on Day 1.
• Place her in a temporary cage/yard without a nesting area in a cool shady spot. Provide food and water. Do not constantly throw the hen out of the nesting box as this can lead to unnecessary repeated stress.
• Alternatively, cut off her access to the nesting boxes. Place a soccer ball or large ice cream container in the box to stop her from sitting in it.
• Once all the other hens have laid their eggs for the day you may release her from her cage area to roam with the other hens, but close off access to the nesting boxes entirely until dusk.
• Let the broody hen roost with the other hens over night, but remove her again in the morning (just look in the nesting box to find her).
• When she finally chooses to come out in the morning with the other hens you will know that you have succeeded. This may take roughly about one to four weeks (on average) depending on the breed. Some times it may only take a day or two, if you are lucky.
• Egg laying may cease for around 21 days (as this would be the natural incubation period for the fertilised eggs).
• REMEMBER, be really persistent, be consistent. Some breeds are prone to go broody as soon as the days get warmer.
  

For more advice like this and tips on how to set up your yard for chickens, book me for a session today.