11 month old hen hatched out chicks in the coop-- Nest box is 3ft up! Advice pls!!!!

[CAjerseychick]

OK so I have been surfing around the Incubating and hatching eggs forum... Well that seems in the bag-- the one chick from this AM is fluffy and healthy and 2 more are pipping (from what I can see that mama hen got super pecky)... (there should be 6 or 7 more hatching besides the one live chick)...

Issue is that I go outa town for 2 days at a time leaving tommorrow night (I can leave as late as 10pm )....
Mama is pretty content in that nest box in the coop (we tried moving the clutch, twice didnt work and she always came back to that nest box) -- there are 5 other nest boxes for the other 9 hens (she hasnt moved off in 2 days - I can tell cause when she takes a break another hen will lay a fresh egg or my "sorta broody" gal will hop up there and take over)....

Its 2 of those Purina coops (free design right off their website ) built together end to end with one opening and ramp on one end....
SO since I am leaving town, my plan is to just set up a feeder and waterer in the far (away from the opening) end of the coop with a pile of straw for a comfy nest?
And mama should gravitate to it? I will be back Sunday night and will move them down from the nest box if they are still up there --
What do you guys think of that plan?

I dont have a seperate pen for them, we have hungry cats indoors so I dont think thats a great option either, and given that mama hen refused being moved twice, dont want to try it again....

 

[JanO]

You've set up a "comfy nest" for her to migrate to when she's ready to move the chicks from the nest, so don't do anything else. She'll either use it or she wont, but it's up to her. When she's ready to move them she will, but don't try to force it. Hens decide when the time is right and don't need us to interfere with them. She will fiercely protect her chicks, so there's no need to segregate them unless there is a direct threat.

 

[CAjerseychick]

You've set up a "comfy nest" for her to migrate to when she's ready to move the chicks from the nest, so don't do anything else. She'll either use it or she wont, but it's up to her. When she's ready to move them she will, but don't try to force it. Hens decide when the time is right and don't need us to interfere with them. She will fiercely protect her chicks, so there's no need to segregate them unless there is a direct threat.

OK thanks JanO that is what I needed to hear (dont feel like I have a whole lotta other options anyway, and this way the big Roo will be around to help defend as well....)..
Appreciate your response

!