Best way to contain broody's chicks?

[Pent]

My maran Martha Jones went militantly broody, so I got her some eggs to hatch. She insists on staying in her nest box in the coop, which is fine, I don't mind a few pecks every morning when I go to get eggs. The trouble is my coop is elevated some distance above the run, with a really slapped together ramp that the girls ignore anyway. I don't want my chicks falling out the door into the run and getting stuck...
I thought I might just put a board across the coop that the hens can get over, but the fuzzies can't. Put chick feed and water inside, everybody's happy. By I'm worried my poor Martha will try to lead her new charges out for a walk, and become distressed when they can't follow. Would she abandon them?

Also pertaining to Martha's hatch, I'm getting some new hatching eggs saturday, but Martha's already been sitting these eggs for a few days. Can I put the new eggs under her, and just switch to the 'bator on the first hatching day, then slip the younger chicks in with hers after the second hatch? I don't want to do all that egg turning if I can avoid it, and she's less likely to mess up. Unless she'll stop turning them too at lockdown, if so I could remove them a few days earlier...

I don't want a second situation like I have now with my poor Houdan, who must live perpetually apart until she can stand up for herself.

 

[Hamstery]

My maran Martha Jones went militantly broody, so I got her some eggs to hatch. She insists on staying in her nest box in the coop, which is fine, I don't mind a few pecks every morning when I go to get eggs. The trouble is my coop is elevated some distance above the run, with a really slapped together ramp that the girls ignore anyway. I don't want my chicks falling out the door into the run and getting stuck...
I thought I might just put a board across the coop that the hens can get over, but the fuzzies can't. Put chick feed and water inside, everybody's happy. By I'm worried my poor Martha will try to lead her new charges out for a walk, and become distressed when they can't follow. Would she abandon them?

If she's anything like mine, she will get very distressed. I had to do some adjusting to my ramp and coop when my hen hatched her chicks. They were only a few days old when they very confidently followed momma down the ramp. I'm amazed at how they hold their own and get around!

 

[KristinaE]

I don't have any broody hen advice, but I don't suppose your other hens are named Rose, Donna, Amy, and Clara?

 

[Pent]

I don't have any broody hen advice, but I don't suppose your other hens are named Rose, Donna, Amy, and Clara?

Lmao, actually, my EE Is Amelia Pond, and my Houdan is Clara. Molly the Wyandotte breaks the pattern, sadly, but if I'm ever keeping a rooster, he's a Captain Jack, no question. OMG I need to paint my coop TARDIS blue! why have I never thought of this before??? I was just trying to decide on color, too!