Broody hen hatching in shared coop

[Courtneyme2003]

I'm new to this site, so hopefully I'm doing this right. I got my first batch of chickens last year. I built my coop (4×4×4 with 4 nesting boxes) and run. Not sure dimensions on the run but it's really big! I currently have 7 chickens, 1 silkie rooster, the rest hens 2 ameracauna, 2 unknown(I'm thinking maybe Easter Eggers, they lay olive colored eggs) 1 golden wyandotte, and 1 australorp (I think!) this year, I decided to get 3 Rhode island red hens and 3 pekin ducks (only 5 days old now) which are in a separate brooder I built myself too
1 of my Americanas is broody right now and I'm wanting her to try to hatch a few eggs. She shares the coop with the other 5 hens and 1 rooster so I'm not sure how that would work. Has anyone else managed to do this with the shared coop and succeeded? I know it would prob be best to separate them but I dont have a place for her right now. I was thinking maybe when the new RIRs and Pekin ducks are around 3 weeks, If they're big enough to move them to the new coop, I could put momma and the eggs in the younger chicks brooder . But I'm not sure if the RIRs and ducks will be ready to move into the big coop by then. Btw, the silkie rooster is SUPER aggressive! Any suggestions or advice?! I'm fairly new to this, so any info you guys can give is much appreciated! Thanks!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

It may be best to separate them but I've let them hatch in the main coops with few problems. A good broody hen is a formidable foe and will protect her charges from all comers.
In some respects, once the chicks hatch, it is preferable to have them in the primary flock. By the time they are on their own, the rest of the flock accepts them as a flock member. If separated until they are 'weaned' by the hen, integration is more difficult.

If brooding in the main coop, you have to switch all the birds to starter feed or make other arrangements.

 

[Jessicanesh]

I agree...I let my Welsummer hatch her clutch last spring in the main coop and she did an excellent job of keeping even the most aggressive flock members at bay. It was a seamless integration for the chicks unlike chicks I’ve hand raised indoors separated from the flock. Good luck and keep us updated.

 

[Shadrach]

What @ChickenCanoe wrote above.
If a hen here decides to sit in a tribe coop then for me, her and the chicks it's an almost perfect arrangement. Usually if the hen will sit in the coop, she's confident about defending her nest.
In general here the more junior hens tend to sit and hatch away from their tribe coop and return to the coop with their chicks once they feel either the chicks are old enough to avoid any aggression or they are confident enough to defend them.
I've found that if the father of the chicks is the senior rooster in the tribe things go more smoothly. He defends his genetic investment.
Having the hen sit and hatch in her tribe's/groups coop means the chicks hear the other adults while they are still in their shells. They know when they hatch that there are other chickens in the world. It also means that they integrate into the group faster and more smoothly ime. This means they get protection from the group much earlier and this in my experience improves their survival chances.
Keep an eye on the sitting hen. If it looks like there are problems. don't move her, just make her nest secure from the others.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

What @ChickenCanoe wrote above.
If a hen here decides to sit in a tribe coop then for me, her and the chicks it's an almost perfect arrangement. Usually if the hen will sit in the coop, she's confident about defending her nest.
In general here the more junior hens tend to sit and hatch away from their tribe coop and return to the coop with their chicks once they feel either the chicks are old enough to avoid any aggression or they are confident enough to defend them.
I've found that if the father of the chicks is the senior rooster in the tribe things go more smoothly. He defends his genetic investment.
Having the hen sit and hatch in her tribe's/groups coop means the chicks hear the other adults while they are still in their shells. They know when they hatch that there are other chickens in the world. It also means that they integrate into the group faster and more smoothly ime. This means they get protection from the group much earlier and this in my experience improves their survival chances.
Keep an eye on the sitting hen. If it looks like there are problems. don't move her, just make her nest secure from the others.

I agree whole heartedly, with one caveat.
I could be wrong but I don't know how a rooster would be able to identify his progeny. That said, I've had a lone adolescent cockerel adopt a batch of chicks just like a broody hen would.

By the way, how's the weather in Catalonia this week.
My Penedesencas are dealing with a good snow cover and it was 15F last night. I think we're out of the woods though temp wise. The -8 F with high winds a couple weeks ago weren't good though.

 

[Shadrach]

I agree whole heartedly, with one caveat.
I could be wrong but I don't know how a rooster would be able to identify his progeny. That said, I've had a lone adolescent cockerel adopt a batch of chicks just like a broody hen would.

By the way, how's the weather in Catalonia this week.
My Penedesencas are dealing with a good snow cover and it was 15F last night. I think we're out of the woods though temp wise. The -8 F with high winds a couple weeks ago weren't good though.

I don't know the mechanism but I've watched roosters imprint chicks. I don't know if the imprinting confirms parentage, or just fixes a particular chick for identification as belonging to the group. It would make a very interesting study.
Most night it freezes here but not down to 15 Fahrenheit. 19/29 Fahrenheit has been the coldest this year and all the chickens coped without problems.
We've had one year when it got down to 12 Fahrenheit and one of the Marans roosters got a touch of frostbite on his comb.
We haven't had snow yet this year (I'm at 300 metres) It did snow a little a few days ago at around 400 metres.
Most days are blue skies and sunshine. 72 degrees Fahrenheit outside today at mid day.