Broody hen with fresh hatchlings. Next steps?

[Fluster Cluck Acres]

My broody hen hatched 2 happy healthy babies today (day 22). That’s all the eggs she had. So now what…

My nest boxes are about 2’ off the ground. This is my set up. She hatched in the box with the cardboard at the bottom, but in this pic she’s in the next box over with no curtain.

There is a lip 1.5-2” tall that is already built in on the nest boxes. Last night I tacked up the cardboard strip 2-3” tall that you can see in the above photo to make sure the first chick didn’t fall out while we were waiting on the 2nd one to hatch.

Now that they’ve both hatched, I was hoping I could move them all to the floor of the coop, but mom just wants to sit in the nest box. Is it okay to leave them for another day? Should I leave them with the extra cardboard so the babies can’t get out? Or remove the cardboard so she can take them out when she’s ready?

I have a crate all set up that I was going to let them use for a day or 2, but she wasn’t interested in it, even when her babies were in it. She just seemed conflicted like she wanted the babies but wanted to be back in the nest box even more. So they’re all back in the nest box now.

I should leave them be and trust mom, I know. But I’m a worrier. And this is mom’s first broody (and only my second). Today she remained in the nest box all day. But yesterday she left the eggs for a bit, which I thought was odd since they were peeping and were in day 21. I’m a little concerned she might leave them alone and other hens might harm them in her absence. Or she might leave them and return to the wrong nest box (which she did a few times while they were eggs). I work tomorrow so mom and babies will be on their own from 5:30 AM until 4:30ish PM.

Advice and/or reassurances are appreciated.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I transferred mine with her three chicks into a prefab coop until they're old enough to join her in the flock.

 

[Fluster Cluck Acres]

I transferred mine with her three chicks into a prefab coop until they're old enough to join her in the flock.
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That’s essentially what I wanted to do, but broody mama disagreed. My extra space is set up in the coop. Maybe if it’d been in a different area where she couldnt also see the nest boxes it would’ve worked better.

 

[MysteryChicken]

That’s essentially what I wanted to do, but broody mama disagreed. My extra space is set up in the coop. Maybe if it’d been in a different area where she couldnt also see the nest boxes it would’ve worked better.

Mine hatched her's in the highest nesting box in the coop.

What'd she do to disagree?

 

[Fluster Cluck Acres]

Mine hatched her's in the highest nesting box in the coop.

What'd she do to disagree?

She just wouldn’t sit with the babies. She was pacing and anxiously trying to get back to the nest box.

 

[Perris]

The chicks needed rest after the exertions of hatching and the broody wanted to protect them and warm them while they sleep, so I'd say her instincts are good. The absorbed yolk means the chicks do not need food or water for a day or three, and she will want to bring them off when the time is right. The chicks won't be able to get back up to that nest easily, so try again with a ground based nest when she does come down with them, and it might work then.

Congratulations on the hatch!

 

[MysteryChicken]

She just wouldn’t sit with the babies. She was pacing and anxiously trying to get back to the nest box.

Mine paced for a minute, or two until she realized she had her babies with her, then sat on her chicks.

 

[Yardmom]

Depending on your flock dynamics you can just remove the cardboard and let them get down when the time is right. Otherwise tonight she will likely stay with them when you take them down.

 

[RubelliteRose]

Congratulations on your hatch!
We have nest boxes with 7" tall sides, so after all the chicks were hatched and dry(late on day 2 I think), we moved our broodies and the chicks out of the nest boxes onto the coop floor. Both broodies gathered their chicks and settled into opposite corners of the coop without issue.

 

[Fluster Cluck Acres]

Depending on your flock dynamics you can just remove the cardboard and let them get down when the time is right. Otherwise tonight she will likely stay with them when you take them down.

This ended up being the case. She remained in the nest box all day, and tonight she took to the crate. My other broody hatched her single egg this morning, so I’m leaving her in a box with the cardboard, and then going to try and move her into the coop tomorrow after work.