chicks and more chicks

[chadw]

Hi all, this is my first post and I hope to do it correctly. I have 4 chicks in the brooder that are 2 weeks old and one of my hens just went broody. I have marked 3 eggs for her to hatch and will monitor daily. My questions are...
1. Should I separate her and her eggs immediately from the rest of the flock or let them hatch first? The nesting box is off the ground and I'd hate for them to fall out if/when they hatch. There is a separate enclosed box in the coop/run I could make a new nest for her.
2. Can I put the chicks from the brooder (they'd be 5 weeks) into the same enclosed area with broody hen and her chicks or build another enclosure for them?

Thanks in advance Chad


My black java rooster Cowboy at 4 months

 

[cashdl]

Hi Chad,

My opinion is to move the broody and her chicks to a seperate enclosure once her chicks hatch. If she has been brooding on the ground then I would leave her there. The problem is you just move her and her chicks to the ground she may leave them and go back to her original spot. I just moved one of my broodies and her new babies to a dog crate with food and water, but left it in the main pen. This gives her a safe place to raise her babies for the first couple of weeks.

I would not put the older chicks in a pen with her and her babies. Chances are she will see them as a threat to her babies and try to kill them.

Lanae

 

[chadw]

Thank you very much
Are there any other thoughts to add out there?