Broody hens in the middle of heatwave.

[JessieKell]

Okay thank you! So here they are. The bottom of the lowest nesting box is a foot and a half off the ground

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Okay thank you! So here they are. The bottom of the lowest nesting box is a foot and a half off the ground

They likely won't be able to get the chicks back into the boxes, it would be very tight for 2 hens and 15 chicks if all hatch as well.

You may want to move them somewhere. Is there room to make a temporary pen/section off inside the coop with some chicken wire?

 

[JessieKell]

They likely won't be able to get the chicks back into the boxes, it would be very tight for 2 hens and 15 chicks if all hatch as well.

You may want to move them somewhere. Is there room to make a temporary pen/section off inside the coop with some chicken wire?

I actually have a temporary pen made. Should I wait until they hatch before moving? I am afraid to move them now in fear of upsetting them and breaking their broody behavior. I didn’t know if I should wait directly after they hatch or when. Sorry for all the questions, and I so appreciate all your help!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I actually have a temporary pen made. Should I wait until they hatch before moving? I am afraid to move them now in fear of upsetting them and breaking their broody behavior. I didn’t know if I should wait directly after they hatch or when. Sorry for all the questions, and I so appreciate all your help!

How long have they been brooding now?

You never know how a broody is going to react, but if you are going to move one with eggs, then now would be the time to do it. I move my broodies away from one another so they have their own "space". If you do move while still sitting, then do it after dark. Have her box ready. Grab her and how ever many eggs you are moving (I take a little towel lined basket for the eggs), put her in the nest and tuck the eggs under her. Leave her locked in the pen for a few days with food/water so she considers that the place she needs to be. Of course things can go wrong, she may not take to the nest or the move could break her.

Another option would be wait until hatch then move your hen with some chicks. Not all eggs are going to hatch at the same time, if you have one broody leave the nest with chicks, the other may abandon the rest of the eggs. So moving 1 with hatched chicks and leaving the other to finish sitting would be good.

Having 2 in the same area really complicates things.