Broody hen

[fishin_dad]

I have a hen that just hatched 10 chicks over a 4 day period. The area she chose was not ideal for raising chicks. I free range and the spot she chose was about 2 feet off of the ground so as I checked on her and found chicks on the ground I would take them to the brooder house. Will I be able to put the removed chicks back with her in a few days when I have a few days off and can create a more ideal area for her to nest with her chicks?

 

[Perris]

I doubt it

 

[The Happster]

I wouldn't do that.
They need to bond & imprint, and if you want her to raise them, you do not want them imprinting on you.
Plus it's just kind of sad for both the hen and the chicks.

 

[CindyinSD]

She's unlikely to take them back. Before going to the trouble of building her a broody coop, you should try giving them back to her. Watch carefully before you leave them alone, then check back very frequently until you're sure she's accepting them.

A broody coop can be very simple--just an enclosed dog crate with a tiny run will do for a few days until she's ready to introduce them to the general population. Here's one that my girl stayed in for the whole of her confinement. It's purpose built, but I needed it mobile. She and her chicks are still using it at night after free ranging. They wouldn't have to, but the tractor is pretty crowded.

 

[fishin_dad]

I wouldn't do that.
They need to bond & imprint, and if you want her to raise them, you do not want them imprinting on you.
Plus it's just kind of sad for both the hen and the chicks.

The problem I ran into was that she was sitting in one of the laying boxes that is 2 feet off of the ground and the babies were falling out so she was trying to keep them warm and sit on her eggs so she stayed stressed out. I took the first 7 that hatched and fell out and placed them in a brooder. The last 3 that she hatched are still with her in the coop. The first 7 were with her for a couple of days after they hatched.

 

[CindyinSD]

The problem I ran into was that she was sitting in one of the laying boxes that is 2 feet off of the ground and the babies were falling out so she was trying to keep them warm and sit on her eggs so she stayed stressed out. I took the first 7 that hatched and fell out and placed them in a brooder. The last 3 that she hatched are still with her in the coop. The first 7 were with her for a couple of days after they hatched.

I understand the problem. I had the same thing, did the same thing, mama had the chicks for a couple days, didn't work at all. That's not to say it can't work for you--it may. I hope it does. I had a bunch of broodies all at the same time and just didn't deal with providing housing as I ought to have done. The babies did fine; they just didn't get raised by the broodies--only the ones with their own special house are with their brood mommy.

 

[centrarchid]

She's unlikely to take them back. Before going to the trouble of building her a broody coop, you should try giving them back to her. Watch carefully before you leave them alone, then check back very frequently until you're sure she's accepting them.

A broody coop can be very simple--just an enclosed dog crate with a tiny run will do for a few days until she's ready to introduce them to the general population. Here's one that my girl stayed in for the whole of her confinement. It's purpose built, but I needed it mobile. She and her chicks are still using it at night after free ranging. They wouldn't have to, but the tractor is pretty crowded.

View attachment 2229326View attachment 2229321View attachment 2229324
View attachment 2229327View attachment 2229331

Do you have a design for those little things?

 

[centrarchid]

You can get the hen to adopt all the chicks of a staggered hatch, but it is a lot of trouble. @fishin_dad do you have a small rabbit cage or even a live-trap like used for raccoons / opossums?

 

[CindyinSD]

Do you have a design for those little things?

What? Me? I wish I did, but I just made it up as I went along, out of leftovers. You don't even want to know how many times I had to recut those angles to get them right.

(Yes, it would've been easier to consult duckduckgo on how to do the geometry I forgot, but I just kept cutting off a little bit more... and a little bit more... ) I'll tell you one thing, though... next one I make will have square corners, a handle on front & axels on the back for wheels. Like this, but small. ⬇

 

[centrarchid]

The triangle versions far better for me when wind strong. I can get hens to move with those I have so long as they are not moved to far. I want a consistent design, especially with the angles as they are still the weak points. I have pups that jump up on the flat roofs too. They jump up on everything.