Adopted chicken mom/Egg laying season is from when to when?

[aunt emma]

Good news...we found one of our awol hens across the street at our neighbors house, setting on eggs

in the flower box, she's been there a week and a half, so that only gives us about 1 1/2 weeks to get ready for babies! I'm eggcited

about this and a little frightened also! We have a cage that can be used for the chicks if need be, and it won't be a problem to keep them warm and fed. But this is if mama hen has trouble raising them herself, mostly I'm concerned about predators. We can also get a hutch from my sister-in-law for mama hen and her chicks for temporary housing until my husband and I can get out in the yard to build them all a proper home. He's got "plans", yee haw!

Why are you frightened you ask? Our chickens adopted us, not the other way around as is the norm. How do you catch a momma hen and her chicks if need be, when they are used to free ranging? Happy Easter everyone!

 

[seminolewind]

Catch them at night when it's dark. I would not move her till after the chicks are born unless you have an incubator so if she leaves the eggs you can still hatch them

 

[Southernbelle]

Keeping chicks and mama together is the best, she'll keep them warm and show them where the food is. You'll just have to give the chicks chick starter. I usually like to put the broody in a crate or brooder while she's brooding because they're very vulnerable to predators while on the nest. Late at night I'd go down and pick up the flower box with the chicken and nest and put her in the rabbit hutch to finish brooding.

Use the search button to run a search on "broody hens" and you'll find some great information on dealing with them. Congratulations on your broody hen!