First time brood hen

[Rounsville83]

So the wife and I have decided that this year we want to actually hatch our own chicks. After much deliberation, we have a couple eggs currently tended in an"incubator"... but we are also interested in letting the hens do the work of hatching for us. We have a few hens that like to sit on our eggs and have to be moved to collect them, so we think our next step is to let them set. However since our nesting boxes are about 3 feet off the ground we are not sure if we should try putting a box lower and see if we can get the broody hen(s) to set on them lower because we don't want to have injured chicks once they hatch trying to fall out of the nest.

Should we put a few lower boxes for brooding? and if so at what height is recommended?

 

[NatJ]

For when chicks actually hatch, you won't want them to fall to the floor--so a box at floor level could be good.

Here is an article that tells how one person sets up nestboxes for broodies:
https://themodernhomestead.us/article/Broody-Hens-2.html

 

[Rounsville83]

Yeah we decided to put some on the ground