broody hen setting

[joyful-homemaker]

I have a broody hen who is setting on eggs we got on vacation memorial day weekend. I dont know what day she started setting and thought the eggs were rotten. The other day one egg broke and to our suprise there was a fully developed chick with the yolk attached by a tube to its stomach. It didn't make it but made me think maybe the others have a chance. One of the eggs actually moves. This started yesterday. How long should it be till we have chicks? She is up in a nest box about two and a half feet off the ground, should I move her before they hatch or after?

thanks

joyful homemaker

 

[dacjohns]

About 21 days to hatch. Sounds like they (or at least one) are starting to hatch. Tough question. I would want to get them to ground level and separated from other chickens as soon as possible, making the move at night but disturbing her during the hatch could cause her to abandon them.

After the chicks hatch they could accidently fall out of the nest and wouldn't be able to get back in.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Quote:
Exactly......

 

[rooster-red]

I would go ahead and move them to ground level.

 

[steffpeck]

I have chicks hatching under a broody right now, 1 is out and I did see another pip, is it safe to move them without worrying about killing the chicks that are still in the eggs?

What about blocking the bottom of the nesting box so they can't fall out?

 

[joyful-homemaker]

She is in a coup with an enclosed run, so when I let the hens out in the morning I will just shut the door to the run and move all of the hens in her coup to the other coup. The birds mingle together outside all day and some from each coup move from their coup to the other to eat and lay so I am not too worried about mixing them.
She also doesn't seem to mind if I reach under her and take the eggs out to look at them. I wondered if we build a box just like the nest box she is in and put it under the one she is in if she will adapt. Another thought is to move the nest box to the floor. She used to set on the floor under the nest boxes till we put these eggs into the nestbox. this hen (a 1 year old buff orpington) actually threw another hen out of the nest box and took over setting. That is why I have no Idea what day the eggs are on.

joyful homaker