BROODY HEN just hatched eggs

Okay here’s the situation. My broody hen just hatched some chicks today after incubating in my garage in a 2ft by 4ft box. Most days I brought her out for a half hour a day to eat, drink, and dust bath. She was around the free ranging flock for that half hour. The last four days before hatch I went on vacation and had my neighbor watch her. She just hatched today and I am coming home tomorrow. When I get home how long should I keep her in the box? Can I put her straight back into the flock? I have a ten by twenty run and a fence surrounding the whole coop. Will they get attacked? Should I put a smaller coop inside the run to get them accustomed to each other or is that not necessary? Any help is greatly appreciated!

I think it just depends on the other hens and rooster if you have one, in my flock the very worst that's happened is just a slightly spiteful peck by a hen, and ones the rooster tried to mate with the broody when all the chicks were underneath.
However if you have any doubts about how the others will behave than a smaller coop inside does sound like a good idea.
Also maybe what an extra day before moving them, just in case there's any late to hatch.

Sussex19 said:

I think it just depends on the other hens and rooster if you have one, in my flock the very worst that's happened is just a slightly spiteful peck by a hen, and ones the rooster tried to mate with the broody when all the chicks were underneath.
However if you have any doubts about how the others will behave than a smaller coop inside does sound like a good idea.
Also maybe what an extra day before moving them, just in case there's any late to hatch.

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Thanks for the advice I’m trying to find a smaller coop to put inside the run but I don’t know if I’ll be able to get one in time. I think they would be fine but I’ve never experienced them around chicks so I have no idea!

ChickenDude12345 said:

Thanks for the advice I’m trying to find a smaller coop to put inside the run but I don’t know if I’ll be able to get one in time. I think they would be fine but I’ve never experienced them around chicks so I have no idea!

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You can always just watch them for a while, and see how they to and intervene if necessary.

Sussex19 said:

You can always just watch them for a while, and see how they to and intervene if necessary.

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UPDATE: I built a temporary Wall between the run and put a box in their side covered with plastic so they can still see each other through the wire. But one thing is for sure when I had to move them she was not happy to be separated from them

ChickenDude12345 said:

UPDATE: I built a temporary Wall between the run and put a box in their side covered with plastic so they can still see each other through the wire. But one thing is for sure when I had to move them she was not happy to be separated from them

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Sounds good!
And yes broody hens sure don't like one interfering!

ChickenDude12345 said:

UPDATE: I built a temporary Wall between the run and put a box in their side covered with plastic so they can still see each other through the wire. But one thing is for sure when I had to move them she was not happy to be separated from them

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Congratulations!!! This is great news! Did she hatch anymore eggs?

SmiYa0126 said:

Congratulations!!! This is great news! Did she hatch anymore eggs?

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She ended with 8 chicks. Three died fully developed in the eggs and one didn’t develp but I’m still happy with my hatch rate

ChickenDude12345 said:

She ended with 8 chicks. Three died fully developed in the eggs and one didn’t develp but I’m still happy with my hatch rate

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That's great! I'm sorry about losing the three fully developed, that's so sad. Yes, that's a great hatch rate!