Broody hen questions.. please answer!

[Frankie Ruiz]

i have a broody buff orpington with eggs due to hatch on the 29th of this month! shes broody in a nest box with 4 eggs under her. my questions are, should i change the whole flock to unmedicated chick starter when they hatch? or should i just let the chicks free range with their momma and put a feeder outside with chick starter in it? or just let them free range with no feed? i know i cant feed medicated chick starter because itll affect the eggs i would get from the rest of the flock. this is my first broody hen so im not experienced on this subject. also, what should i do about the chicks sleeping? because the nest box that the broody hen is in is about 2 feet off the ground and the chicks wont be able to get in it to sleep at night. will the momma naturally keep her chicks warm at night on the floor of the coop on the straw bedding?? please help!!

 

[LRH97]

The best thing to do to a broody is separate her from the entire flock. This keeps the chicks safe, aand removes the problem with the feed, so you can continue feeding the rest of the flock their feed while only putting the babies and momma on chick feed. An old dog crate or pet carrier, or a closed off corner with ply wood works well for a broody. You don't want to hatch eggs in a nesting box off the ground. Chicks splattered on the floor is usually frowned upon by most chicken parents.

Also adult non broody birds can be downright NASTY to babies, so I strongly recommend separating them. If you don't have a separate nesting box to put in the broody pen, you can kind of gather the straw into a pile and make an indentation in the middle to hold the eggs. Good luck with your babies!