Broody Chick Question/Raised Coop

[ashncarson]

I am new to chickens within the last year, and first time with hatching eggs. We currently have a broody mom sitting on eggs that are due this week. She is nesting in a corner of the coop. I am wondering if she will know to not take the chicks out since our coop is raised off the ground with a ramp to get into it? Its probably about 3 ft off the ground, with the door inside being 16 inches off of the coop floor. There will be food and water for the chicks and mom inside of the coop.

We will only be keeping them with her for about a week, nothing long term, just hopefully enough time for her to get over being broody

I plan on making a 4 sided plywood box for them, with food and water, with a way for mom to go in and out as she pleases to try to contain them if needed.

Anyone know if she will still try to take them outside of the coop?

 

[RoosterDoo]

Just like any other Mom, a hen with a brood will travel as she sees fit. I would watch to make sure she is caring for them, as sometimes, very rarely in my experience, a broody hen will abandon her chicks. They will follow her and do mostly what she tells them to, both outside and inside. If you are worried about them falling, you can try moving her into an enclosure that is on the ground. But, I have had chicks fall from great heights, about 4.5 ft or so, and no injury had incurred. Is there a reason you are going to separate the brood? Perhaps attaching slanted side walls to the ramp will help deter possible falls?

 

[Judy]

She will more likely want to stay with the chicks and continue to raise them for 3 or 4 weeks, quite possibly longer. The chicks are likely to hop down to the ground level within a very few days. This isn't a problem; many a chick has hoppped down from a hayloft many feet above a barn floor without a problem. She will simply make her nest for them on the gound level, wherever they gather, or she gathers them. I;m not quite sure what your plywood box is for. If you have other chickens and it is to keep them separate, the mama should do a god job of protecting the chicks from any attack, and the chicks can grow up with the flock. They will try to go outside the coop, or anywhere else they can, about as soon as they start walking. If you try to separate her from the chicks, she will just keep trying to get back with them if they are anywhere within earshot, or if not, she will try to get our to go hunting for them.

 

[ashncarson]

Just like any other Mom, a hen with a brood will travel as she sees fit. I would watch to make sure she is caring for them, as sometimes, very rarely in my experience, a broody hen will abandon her chicks. They will follow her and do mostly what she tells them to, both outside and inside. If you are worried about them falling, you can try moving her into an enclosure that is on the ground. But, I have had chicks fall from great heights, about 4.5 ft or so, and no injury had incurred. Is there a reason you are going to separate the brood? Perhaps attaching slanted side walls to the ramp will help deter possible falls?

If I don't have to seperate I am OK with that. I just worry that once the chicks out outside of the coop that they wont be able to get back in .

I will attach a photo of the ramp angle in a moment....I also have 3 other broody chickens..maybe they will break being broody when the chicks come?

 

[ashncarson]

Here is the coop entrance.

A side view of the coop

 

[RoosterDoo]

Is the ramp smooth or does it have some sort of foot holds? It does seem like it could be a little too steep for chicks' little legs. But, the mother will take care not to leave them to be beaten on by other birds. The other hens might break up, but sometimes it takes a little help. Persistence through collecting eggs and physically moving them away from their nests might break them up. I had one broody that I could not get to budge, and ended up having her hatch chicks because she had sat for so long. I had to do this with a turkey, too. She had a six-chicken brood, as her eggs had been stolen.

 

[philipchickymad]

Can one of you plz just show me a list of things that hv to be done to my chicks that are under my broody hen currently as this is my first hatch thanks PHIL

 

[ashncarson]

Is the ramp smooth or does it have some sort of foot holds? It does seem like it could be a little too steep for chicks' little legs. But, the mother will take care not to leave them to be beaten on by other birds. The other hens might break up, but sometimes it takes a little help. Persistence through collecting eggs and physically moving them away from their nests might break them up. I had one broody that I could not get to budge, and ended up having her hatch chicks because she had sat for so long. I had to do this with a turkey, too. She had a six-chicken brood, as her eggs had been stolen.

Is it smooth, we have some wood pieces to put on just have not since they mostly all jump up and down. We will get them added just in case!

 

[donrae]

She will have no problem teaching them to use that ramp. They may actually fall out of the coop the first few times, but that drop isn't near enough to hurt a baby chick. She may also choose not to sleep in the coop, but may make a new nesting place out in the run. That doesn't look to be a problem with your wire on the run. No reason to take the chicks from momma, she'll do all the work and love doing it! Taking the chicks will not only distress her, you'll have issues introducing them back. Keep them with momma and she'll make sure they grow up right, in the flock.