First Time Mom and Broody (supposed to snow on hatch day)

[bragabit]

My Broody will be on day 21 on Friday and Saturday. She has about 18 eggs under her big Buff orp butt. She has only gotten off the nest one time that I have seen. Here are my concerns:

She has been stubborn about nesting and has her clutch in the nesting box in the roosting coop. Our coop is divided and has an open area, and the roosting/nesting area. I have 11 other hens.

-The nest box is a good 18 inches off the ground...what should I do when the babies hatch??
(I have a very large dog crate??)
or
(Could shut the hatch and give the roost to the mommy hen and chicks only)

-I have heat lamps from the winter still in the coop, should I turn them on (as we are expecting snow this weekend)?

-Do I buy chick feed?? How do I give it to the babies without the rest of the flock eating it?

-How do I keep the chicks from eating the layer mash?

-Any other important advice?

-IF...my eggs are duds...and I worry about this because my rooster is a tiny bantam and my hens are full size. Could I get chicks from the local feed store and stuff them under my broody if her eggs dont' hatch by Monday??

 

[bobbi-j]

IF...my eggs are duds...and I worry about this because my rooster is a tiny bantam and my hens are full size. Could I get chicks from the local feed store and stuff them under my broody if her eggs dont' hatch by Monday??

That's what I did. After 23 days, none of the 7 eggs my broody was on hatched. I went to the feed store, bought 8 chicks, waited until that night and took the eggs out and put the chicks underneath the hen. She was very fiesty at first, but as she heard the chicks peeping, she started clucking and tucking them underneath her and all was well. Good luck!