HELP! Broody hen and chicks question

[rduchix]

This is our first time with a broody hen and hatching chicks. I've never had chicks before. We bought our hens when they were pullets about 8 weeks old. Our broody hen's chicks are hatching today. We've had one hatch already and the rest are pipping. She hatched the eggs in one of the coop's regular nest boxes. We tried giving her a new private nest box in the run to hatch them in and she wouldn't sit on them. She only wanted to sit on her favorite nest box inside the coop, so that's where she hatched them.

My question/problem is that the nest box they are in now is inside the coop and I don't see any way the chicks can make it out of the coop. We use the deep litter method for the coop and mama hen moved all the shavings like a hill up to the nest box, so I guess the chicks could get out of the box, but not over the 6" lip to get out the pop door. Should I add more shavings to the coop, so the chicks can make it out the pop door? Or move them to a private nest box and brooder area inside the run? Or something else?

My other concern is that the run is full of straw that we gave the hens last month and they have been spreading it around for a couple of weeks. Could the chicks hurt themselves trying to walk on the straw when they make it outside? If so, I need to get out there today or tomorrow and get it all out of there.

Also, at what point should I put out the chick's water and crumbles? The waterer that the hens use is too high up for the chicks to reach.

Thank you!

 

[goldfinches]

Mine did the same thing. After all the eggs had hatched - or not, (only one of ours had hatched), I moved her and the baby to the floor of the coop. They snuggled into the corner for a day or two. When the baby was ready to go outside, she helped her out, but it wasn't a long way down. Maybe when it's that time for you, you can help them out. Every day, we had to figure out where they were and pick them up and take them back inside at night.

I think they'll be fine on the straw. Just watch them when they are first outside, you'll be able to tell pretty quickly.

Get water out today, and crumbles in a day or two.