hatch coming, what to do.

[cutlass1972]

I had a hen that went broody. I don't have any roo's so none of my eggs where fertile for her to hatch. I stopped at a neighbors house and bought a dozen eggs from him (he keeps a roo in with his hens all the time). I gave her the full dozen. I have been candling them and thus far have only found one that was not fertile.

I am debating at this point to attempt to build a little fenced area for my hen and her chicks in the coop attached to the nest box and let her rear them, or to block off the nest box on the big day and remove the chicks and raise them in my brooder as I have with all the other chicks I have ever raised. are their pluses or minuses either way?

 

[One Acre Wonder Farm]

Ic it were me, I would give the hen a chance before taking the chicks. If you can fence off an area and let her raise the chicks then you'll experience the joy of watching a momma hen raise her babies.

If you brood them then you have to worry about a heat lamp and pasty butt, etc.

So my vote is to let momma handle it, but be prepared to take them incase for some reason she is not a great mom.

 

[Luke0987654321]

the hen will do all of the work, she will protect them from any other hen that gets too close, you dont need a heat lamp, i would just leave her where she is.
luke.