Changing a broody hen's nest to a maternity ward nest?

[Dqueakys Chickys]

That HAD to be scary! And what an AWFUL way to discover the problem ... losing a furbaby! I hope there's a test and a "fix" for the issue. Carbon monoxide poisoning is definitely something you want to avoid ... and not just for chickens!

Sadly, the only reason i know this is i lost a pair of baby budgies to my toyota corolla

 

[RPw1690]

I built a small 4 x 4 x 4 ft cube with one side a door & hardware cloth, facing the 2 other full size coops.

4 broody hens over 2 seasons have raised their chicks in there, until they decided on their own to roost with the other birds. They are let out with loose supervision early on, and return on their own at dusk. They sometimes will go back in midday, for a rest from the other birds. They may spend several days locked it, and happy to get out, but back they go. I try to discourage the other birds from poking around looking for treats, but they seem to resolve those territorial disputes somewhat quietly. (Black Marans)

In each case, the chicks had already jumped a foot & 1/2 out of the nest box, so I find the pair of them in a corner in the coop. Moving the chicks first encourages Mom to follow. Within several days, and plenty of sprouted white millet treats, the nursery becomes home for 3-4 weeks, at least.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

We don't try to move our broodies until hatch, or there are chicks, as when we purchased chicks and gave them to the two who had been setting on golf balls for three weeks. They are very bonded to their nest! However, when there are chicks we immediately move them from the hen house to the brooder, a separate small building, and lock them in. At that point they are more concerned about chicks than location, and they settle right down.

Within about three days either chicks or a mama had escaped the brooder and managed to mingle with the flock, not our plan at all. But it went well. The mamas were fierce defenders but the aunties just seemed to accept the babies as new family members. I did not see any pecking until, at 10 to 12 weeks the babies - teens now - were trying to find their places on the roosts in the hen house and the mamas had totally lost interest in them. Babies? What babies? We don' see no stinkin' babies!