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This the part most unpredictable owing to how we confine broodies with other adults when they normally try to disperse. Today I will be combining the broods of 3, possibly four hens, to be reared by a hen that is not the mother of any of the chicks. This being done to reduce the number of...

If hen is still incubating eggs she often will not come off to protect chicks that stray from nest before brood mobilized to leave nest.

Unless I am able to closely watch interactions between chicks and adults not the mother the worst is assumed to prevent losses.

Hens will not carry chicks.

With setup like yours I would place a fence of some sort on front of nest to prevent chicks from falling out once hen begins clucking (about day 18 to 19 of incubation). Once eggs begin hatching you can often move entire clutch and hen to a shallow box on floor until brood hatches. This...