Broody hen and chicks question!! Need answer immediately!

So I have a pretty hand that’s been sitting for three weeks and the due date for the eggs hatch is today!! I just have one more question. Should I expand my brooder box and keep them in there or can I put the mom and chicks into the coop with the flock of 10 chickens. Should I get one of those Amazon coops? What should I do?

ChickenDude12345 said:

So I have a pretty hand that’s been sitting for three weeks and the due date for the eggs hatch is today!! I just have one more question. Should I expand my brooder box and keep them in there or can I put the mom and chicks into the coop with the flock of 10 chickens. Should I get one of those Amazon coops? What should I do?

Click to expand...

Broody he hatching eggs

ChickenDude12345 said:

Broody he hatching eggs

Click to expand...

I would make accommodations for the hen to be separated with her new chicks. She can raise her babies with less stress

ChickenDude12345 said:

So I have a pretty hand that’s been sitting for three weeks and the due date for the eggs hatch is today!! I just have one more question. Should I expand my brooder box and keep them in there or can I put the mom and chicks into the coop with the flock of 10 chickens. Should I get one of those Amazon coops? What should I do?

Click to expand...

I have a hen that hatched 6 on Monday. I separated her 2 weeks ago so she and babies are in a separate pen. Some say let them stay and mom will take care of them, but I’ve always moved my to another pen. I’ve got 14 other hens plus 15 four month olds and a rooster. I don’t think that she could fight them all off. Better safe than sorry.

What I did is put the hen and chicks in a massive cardboard box within the coop. She finished hatching the late eggs, and then I let her out. The problem was the other hens would try to get in the box with her to lay.

I have a broody sitting on eggs right now. First for me.

I had already constructed an area within the coop. Starting in one corner I created a 20ish sq ft area using one pallet, a very large wire dog create and I framed a bit above and covered the top with plastic chicken wire. A big rectangular box. No good pics on my phone. But here is a pic of the broody In the nest area in the crate.

In my experience it depends on the status of the hen. High status hens do really well raising the chicks in the coop with the other chickens. Low status hens end up having more stress and they do better moved to a new coop.

Vicious broodies are kind of a category of their own and I move them regardless of their status in the flock. If you have to do a health check on the chicks, a vicious hen will get the whole flock in a tizzy and it’s just not worth the trouble.

When my broody hens hatched eggs earlier this spring I kept them in the coop but in a protected enclosure for two weeks - until they were big enough to peck apart pellets basically. When I let them out, some of my Wyandotte girls pecked the chicks heads to let them know whose in charge - after that, everything was kosher.

I had an unexpected single chick hatch under a broody silkie hen last week. Separation isn’t possible since all my cages are full of ducks at the moment. So far, the chick has been doing well with mom watching out for him/her and nobody has bothered it to my knowledge.

So, essentially, whatever you’re comfortable with. I would still ideally separate for the first two weeks to make sure the babies don’t have to fight for food and water.

MildlyOffensiveChicken said:

I have a broody sitting on eggs right now. First for me.

I had already constructed an area within the coop. Starting in one corner I created a 20ish sq ft area using one pallet, a very large wire dog create and I framed a bit above and covered the top with plastic chicken wire. A big rectangular box. No good pics on my phone. But here is a pic of the broody In the nest area in the crate.

Click to expand...

Be careful with that kind of dog crate, a young chick can easily fit through the bars and get into trouble. When I let a hen have chicks in the coop she gets to choose where she wants to keep them, usually a nest box at ground level.

Salixx said:

So, essentially, whatever you’re comfortable with. I would still ideally separate for the first two weeks to make sure the babies don’t have to fight for food and water.

Click to expand...

Separating for 2 weeks is really overkill. I’ve had 12 broodies with chicks already this year and none have needed to be separated for more than one day. When I put a mom and chicks in their own coop they are released to free range with everyone else on Day 2. Moms in the main coop are free to go out or not with everyone else from the get-go.

Provide water and food near mom &chicks for day 1 & 2, then just water from day 3 on if you don’t usually keep food in the coop. Mom will be ready to go on about her business and she will take the chicks to food and water.