nesting boxes?

[JarrodnJojo2016]

my nesting boxes are about 3feet from the ground, I was wondering when my hens hatch chicks, will the babies be save to get down??

 

[Ridgerunner]

I’ve seen broody hens get chicks down from a 10’ high hay loft. She says jump and they do. When they land the jump up and run to Mama. Isn’t it nice to have kids that obey?

Some of my nests are also about 3’ above the coop floor. I’ve had a lot of hens hatch in them and get their chicks down without a problem.

 

[Percheron chick]

I have the problem of the first hatched chicks falling out of the nesting boxes and the hen abandoning the eggs to take care of the chick on the ground. I'll move mom and the eggs to a box where the chicks can't get away from her.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I kept reading in here about chicks falling out of nests and I couldn’t figure out what was going on. Then it finally happened to me. I let a hen hatch in a cat little bucket. Not a cat litter bin, but a bucket with top dimensions 7-1/2” x 11-1/2”. The chicks would climb up on Mama’s back and fall off. That nest was so small they’d miss the nest on the way down. That hen never abandoned the nest to take care of those chicks, I tossed chicks back in her nest four times, probably the same chicks. That nest was about 3 feet above the coop floor and those chicks were not hurt. I retired that nest right after she finished hatching. The regular nests I use are 16” x 16” with fairly high lips. Chicks don’t fall out of those.

Percheron, I believe you. I don’t know what was going on with yours or why they fell. Who can tell what decisions a broody hen will make when it comes to her chicks or nests. But that’s the only time I’ve ever experienced that problem.