First broody hatch started -- HELP!

[DownwardDog]

Our broody IEOrp is finally sitting on 12 fertilized eggs. I just moved her into a dog crate in the coop because she was off the nest and a SS was sitting there instead, laying an egg. I put shavings into a new, plastic dishwashing bucket, put the eggs into it and put the whole thing in the back of the crate. I let her into the crate and she immediately got into the bucket and moved the eggs around under her. Phew.

So, my question is this: hubby and I are planning to do our big annual "coop clean" on Thursday, so that when the chicks hatch they will have a nice clean coop/brooder area. My question is this: do I just leave her and the eggs in the bucket on the floor of the brooder area, or should I create a fluffy nest in the clean shavings on the floor? She's a big Orp hen, but 12 eggs seems like a lot and should I be afraid of her crushing an egg in the bucket, or worse: smothering a chick once it's hatched? What would she do with the shells once hatched since the bucket has walls all around her? Sorry, I tend to obsess with details sometimes, but they seem like valid points to me;-) This is my first hatch EVER so I'm the anxious hen here!

Thanks for your experiences

~Lenore

 

[donrae]

Maybe I'm not understanding your set up, but I'm not sure why you used the bucket inside the crate. I'd take the bucket out and put shavings on the floor of the crate, if that's where you want her to brood. If it's just her, she's pretty unlikely to crush eggs but it does happen from time to time. Once they hatch, most of my hens brood on the floor, they don't go back to the nest box except maybe at night. usually the nest boxes are in use, so they pick a corner of the coop and brood there instead.

 

[DownwardDog]

I thought it would be more "nest like". We will move her into the brooder area of the coop tomorrow. She ended up dumping the bin today anyway, so I took it out and made a "nest" of shavings on the floor if it. She doesn't seem to be the brightest bulb, but hopefully she'll be a good mom.