My hen is brooding in the Garage - about 10’off the ground. Will the chicks float to the ground?

[AngelaMa]

My hen is brooding in a nest box that is up in a lumber rack. Should I worry the chicks will fall to the ground and die, or do I have some time to move the box after they hatch? It's very nice none of the other chickens are bothering her where she is now. She was the one being pecked.

 

[50-45-1]

WOW that is high.
Do you have a broody box set up?
The baby chicks would shurely get hurt geting down from that height.
You have quite an industrious hen that searched out such a place to lay her eggs in safety.
I use some old rabbit hutches we have, they are inclosed wood on one end and wire cage on the other.
Place food and water in the wire section. Lots of straw inside the box.
If you have such a thing, move your broody well after dark to the new place so it is less streeful for her.
Moving after dark workes for me 90% of the time. However some hens break up anyway or just do not like to be moved. I have an incubator ready just in case, or most times i have 3 or 4 hens that are broodies i can switch out.
Good luck!

 

[AngelaMa]

Thanks for the valuable information. I suspect you've tried moving the nest when the hen is out eating for her hour or so? I wonder if I move it incrementally if she will go back to it? When not broody she sleeps up in the Mango tree. I've climbed up a laddar to put "no pick” on her but she seems to wake up and not be happy about it, so I don't think she will take to being moved at night...

 

[oregonkat]

Oooh, a mango tree! What I wouldn't give......
Anyway, moving your hen at night is the best option. How close is your hatch date? Please consider putting your location into your profile so we can all be thoroughly jealous and perhaps be able to help with other questions should you have any more.
Oh, and WELCOME to BYC. Hope you enjoy your time here, in the nut house with the rest of us!

 

[AngelaMa]

Big Island Hawaii - I added to profile. Thanks.
I think I'm going to see if I can get the "kiddie pool” right under the box she's brooding in and put some cardboard walls around the nest box so the chicks would have to fall into the pool (with shavings) if they got out of the nest box. Hatch date is soon - I think Wednesday. (I had been thinking Nature would take care of this and the chicks would float to the ground like baby birds - lol).
If I can't make the pool secure I'll try moving her tonight.

 

[oregonkat]

Yeah, there's no floating, more like falling with style and panic!! One of the other problems is that your hen is not going to want to leave the chicks when she needs to leave the nest to eat, drink and poop, soooo, there might be an issue with her abandoning them. I would move her!

 

[AngelaMa]

Looks like all 9 eggs have hatched!
I ended up rigging a kidde pool right under the nest box. It's still about 9’. off the ground, but when they can jump over the side of the nest box they've hatched in, they will land on the nice shavings in the kidde pool where there is water and starter for them.
I moved some water and hen food right beside the nest box for the hen and she was happy to have the water.
All good for the moment.
How many days (at the least) do I have until the chicks can jump out of the kidde pool?

 

[Redhead Rae]

Looks like all 9 eggs have hatched!
I ended up rigging a kidde pool right under the nest box. It's still about 9’. off the ground, but when they can jump over the side of the nest box they've hatched in, they will land on the nice shavings in the kidde pool where there is water and starter for them.
I moved some water and hen food right beside the nest box for the hen and she was happy to have the water.
All good for the moment.
How many days (at the least) do I have until the chicks can jump out of the kidde pool?

Now that all the eggs have hatched, I would move them all TONIGHT. Mama won't be happy, but that would be safest for the chicks. Mama shouldn't abandon her babies now. If you gab the mama, have someone hold her while you scoop up the chicks and put them into the kiddie pool and then put mama in the pool. That should work well.

 

[Redhead Rae]

Heck, you could even move her today, she and the babies might be harder to catch though.

 

[sourland]

If the eggs have hatched, I would move the hen and chicks tonight.