Hi all, I have a broody that is sitting on three eggs in the top row of nesting boxes. She has been there for about a week. She is the first hen that I have ever had go broody. My question is: Should I leave here there until she has the chicks or move her? The nesting box is about 4 ft off the floor. So obviously when she has the chicks they can't hop up and down from there. Any suggestions are welcome. Thank you.
If you move her now she will most likely just go right back up there. What you can do is just leave her there, and let her hatch her chicks up there. When her chicks hatch and she walks out on their first day venturing out, be there and put the chicks down next to her with your hands. Then at night, she will try to take them up there to sleep but after trying to get them up there and realizing that they can't get up there, the hen will just find a place near the ground where the chicks can sleep with her. My hens always set hiding somewhere on the floor in the chicken pen but I have had 2 set in the coop. I did the exact same thing and it turned out fine. The hens are very smart and do anything for their chicks so they will find some nook or cranny to cuddle in and sleep. You can try putting some sort of home for her and lead her to that instead. I use a move-able next box. It's just a box with a hole in front of it lined with your preferred bedding, and put on the floor somewhere sheltered. Hope this helps and Good luck!
you can either build a ramp or move them. i'd probably move them into a separate pen so the other chickens won't bother her(lay eggs on top of her) or the chicks once they hatch. good luck with your hatch!
Yes the other hens might peck on her but I solved that problem by putting more eggs in the other boxes so the hens would be enticed to go into those. Hens seem to like hens with more eggs for some reason. Also i made the straw more comfy, and replaced it with fresh new straw so those boxes were irresistible. (Of course you should also refresh hen broody's bedding also)
