Broody hen!

[emmalemons]

I finally have a broody chicken! This is her third day sitting in the coop all day. She nips and makes weird noises when you go to try and touch her.
My question is if I should worry about when the chicks hatch, if the rooster will hurt the chicks. And is it okay to just leave the chicken alone with the eggs in the coop until they hatch or if I should give her something else to live in. When the chicks do hatch will I need to give the hen a spot for the chicks or will she be okay with being in the coop with all they chickens? Btw my chickens are free range.

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

If your coop is predator proof, leave your broody and eggs be...... mama will protect her clutch if she is a good mother. After the hatch, keep an eye on mama to see if she will accept her chicks. Best of luck with your hatch! Keep us posted.....

 

[Folly's place]

Generally it's best to have the broody and her eggs separated so the other hens can't disturb her nest and add eggs. Set up a divider so she has her own food, water, and space. Or, at night with a tiny flashlight, move her and her eggs to a big dog crate, or separate coop area, with that wire fence between her and the flock. Most of the time it works, but it might cause her to abandon the eggs, so be aware.
Mary

 

[Crazy for Chickens!]

You need to separate her. Even if the mother is a good one, the other chickens will peck the chicks, and the mother can't just altogether protect them.

So, set up a predator safe pen with a nest, and move the hen there with some eggs at night, when it's completely dark. You can change out the eggs if you don't want hem to incubate. Make sure she settles down, then ou can give her the ones to set on. She will be fine by herself. Make sure you don't give her too many or else they will stick out from under her and die.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Agree about separating or sectioning off the hen w/eggs

 

[emmalemons]

Thank you everybody! I decided to let HER stay in the nesting boxes everyone uses and close her off and make different nesting boxes for the other 5 hens. Thank you for the ideas!