Broody Hen

[Justadoz3nshort]

I have a broody hen that I am giving chicks to Friday. I have set up a brooder inside my coop. My question is should I move her to it with her fake eggs before the chicks or after? I don't want to break her broody by making the wrong move but the nesting boxes aren't a proper height for chicks. Thanks in advance!

 

[sourland]

Place the chicks beneath her in the evening in her present nest site. That way she will imprint on them over night. Get up at daybreak the next morning to monitor the situation and eventually move her and the chicks to the brooder. Good luck.

 

[Justadoz3nshort]

That's a good plan! Thank you

 

[Sussex19]

I second sourlands suggestion.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Why isn't the nest a proper height for chicks? My broody hens regularly hatch in nests 4 feet off of the coop floor. That is not a problem. When it is time for her to bring her chicks off the nest the hen flies down and tells the chicks to jump. They jump down and run to her. I've never had one injured doing that.

When you pick the broody hen up, be careful. I killed a chick once by doing that. Sometimes they crawl under her wings. I crushed one once when I picked her up. Trust me, you do not want to do that. I still pick broody hens up when I need to but I am very careful when I do that.

 

[Justadoz3nshort]

Why isn't the nest a proper height for chicks? My broody hens regularly hatch in nests 4 feet off of the coop floor. That is not a problem. When it is time for her to bring her chicks off the nest the hen flies down and tells the chicks to jump. They jump down and run to her. I've never had one injured doing that.

When you pick the broody hen up, be careful. I killed a chick once by doing that. Sometimes they crawl under her wings. I crushed one once when I picked her up. Trust me, you do not want to do that. I still pick broody hens up when I need to but I am very careful when I do that.

That's interesting. Mines only a foot and a half off the ground but I was nervous.

 

[Mom2]

Why isn't the nest a proper height for chicks? My broody hens regularly hatch in nests 4 feet off of the coop floor. That is not a problem. When it is time for her to bring her chicks off the nest the hen flies down and tells the chicks to jump. They jump down and run to her. I've never had one injured doing that.

When you pick the broody hen up, be careful. I killed a chick once by doing that. Sometimes they crawl under her wings. I crushed one once when I picked her up. Trust me, you do not want to do that. I still pick broody hens up when I need to but I am very careful when I do that.

You have me so curious if I can do this? I have a coop that is on legs several feet off the ground and the nesting boxes are one or so feet up inside of it. I have a broody hen and can get some fertilized eggs from a neighbor. But I’ve been trying to figure out all day where and how to move her out of the preferred nesting box. And if I put her in a crate inside the coop would it be safe for chicks because the coop is so high. The back of the coop opens up but can remain closed so that’s not a problem.

 

[Justadoz3nshort]

You have me so curious if I can do this? I have a coop that is on legs several feet off the ground and the nesting boxes are one or so feet up inside of it. I have a broody hen and can get some fertilized eggs from a neighbor. But I’ve been trying to figure out all day where and how to move her out of the preferred nesting box. And if I put her in a crate inside the coop would it be safe for chicks because the coop is so high. The back of the coop opens up but can remain closed so that’s not a problem.

I'm going to try it tomorrow...I can let you know how it goes. I have a camera in the coop to "supervise" without interfering too much.

 

[Ridgerunner]

You have me so curious if I can do this? I have a coop that is on legs several feet off the ground and the nesting boxes are one or so feet up inside of it. I have a broody hen and can get some fertilized eggs from a neighbor. But I’ve been trying to figure out all day where and how to move her out of the preferred nesting box. And if I put her in a crate inside the coop would it be safe for chicks because the coop is so high. The back of the coop opens up but can remain closed so that’s not a problem.

I let mine hatch in a regular nest but with your set-up that's probably not a good idea. I would not try it. That coop looks pretty small, not sure where you would put the crate but if you can fit it, you should be able to make it work. Some people move a broody to a different out-building but I don't like keeping them separated from the flock. One possible solution would be to build a shelter in the run that is predator safe and keeps the nest dry. It would help integration if the hen could see and be seen by the rest of the flock but you can handle integration even if you move her to a different building. My preference would be a crate in the coop but a separate shelter in the run would be pretty good. May even be better.

The only problem I see with the height is the ramp. What often happens when the hen is trying to get the chicks back into the coop at night to sleep she flies up to the pop door and calls her chicks. They don't know to go to the end of the ramp and walk up, they crowd under her and cannot jump up that high. The hen will probably give up and hop down to let them sleep under her on the ground. Not sure how predator safe your run is. So you need to be out there at bedtime to make sure the chicks are safe. You may need to help them get into the coop and with many broody hens ready to defend her chicks from monsters like us that might get exciting. If you have a predator safe shelter on the ground where she hatched them the hen will probably take the chick there to spend the night.

I personally do not like those small elevated coops for hatching and raising chicks but many people make them work. It might take a little more work.

 

[Bella the Chicken Lover]

I'm going to try it tomorrow...I can let you know how it goes. I have a camera in the coop to "supervise" without interfering too much.

How did it go?