Broody hen

[Micmac1234]

I have my first broody hen. She’s been in the nesting box for about a week now and I can’t decide what to do… I have 8 chickens and I don’t have a space where I could separate her to break her and I don’t have a space where I could put her with the new chicks. I am intrigued by putting some fertile eggs under her to see what happens but will that be successful with the other 7 birds? The broody hen is the Queen B of the group.

 

[nchls school]

I have my first broody hen. She’s been in the nesting box for about a week now and I can’t decide what to do… I have 8 chickens and I don’t have a space where I could separate her to break her and I don’t have a space where I could put her with the new chicks. I am intrigued by putting some fertile eggs under her to see what happens but will that be successful with the other 7 birds? The broody hen is the Queen B of the group.

When my hens hatch chicks/ducklings/etc. they are brought into the house in a tub for the first few days. I then let the hen and chicks free range with a "safe" nest box for at night.

 

[Micmac1234]

When my hens hatch chicks/ducklings/etc. they are brought into the house in a tub for the first few days. I then let the hen and chicks free range with a "safe" nest box for at night.

You bring the hen and the chicks in? Do you only put them out at night after a few days?

 

[nchls school]

You bring the hen and the chicks in? Do you only put them out at night after a few days? No.

Depending on the breed and species, mother and babies are brought into the house to live in a large tub until the young can get around quickly; that can be two days up to two weeks.

After that the family is moved outside to free range. A nest box that closes is provided outside for the new mothers to take their young at night.

 

[Ridgerunner]

For thousands of years broody hens have been hatching eggs without benefit of humans. So could she hatch them without isolating them from the flock? Probably. For thousands of years broody hens have been raising chicks with the flock without benefit of humans. Could she raise them with the other hens? Maybe. It takes a certain amount of space for a broody hen to raise chicks with the flock.

You don't have enough room to break her or to separate her with the chicks. It sounds like you don't have enough room for more chickens period. I would not suggest hatching any more and I would not suggest you buying more if room is that tight.