Help please Broody hen in Hen House

[Flybybirds]

I have a feather footed Maran Hen that has gone broody on me. Nice but I know she will do her job rather well. It's just will I?
She is in a coop with a Rooster and six other hens. The hen house has six laying boxes and she has chosen one that, thank the Lord, no other hen is using. When the chicks hatch what now. I have searched the forum and really can't find an answer. Will the other hens kill the chicks? What should I do when they hatch?

 

[gimmie birdies]

I would mark the eggs she is to keep- take out any eggs any other hen tries to lay, make sure the eggs are all supposed to hatch the same day, move the chicks to a brooder as they hatch or the hen may leave the nest before all the chicks hatch. when all the chicks have hatched separate mom and babies to a heated area separate from the other hens, (make sure the heat lamp is very secure) keep them separate and heated until they feather out fully about 9 weeks.

 

[Flybybirds]

I put what I thought were the fertile eggs under her all at once. She didn't have an egg or her own and the other hens are not paying in her box. I hope that the eggs will hatch within a day of each other. I could take them inside the barn but it is actually warmer in the coop they roost in. We are in Florida. The days are in the 70-s low 80's now, nights may go as low as 58 but probably not much lower for a few months. I was hoping to keep her in the coop. What do you think? I have a picture of the coop just under my first post.

 

[kelck22]

In my experience hens know what they are doing. Mine stay on the nest a full day or more after the first one hatches. Then they protect the chicks from all other hens.

 

[Flybybirds]

Do you think she will just become broody again after the chickens are older? I hope not. Can't be healthy.

 

[kelck22]

She will eventually start laying eggs again when the chicks are old enough. Some breeds like silkies will go broody right again. But most won't, averageis 1-2 times a year.

 

[Flybybirds]

We candled the eggs and not one were fertile. I had just introduced the Rooster a week before we put eggs under my Broody Maran. Thought maybe when we pulled the eggs she would join the group. Not. She just acts like the eggs are still there. So we put eggs under her again in hopes that she will hatch these and then stop brooding. Just worry because she has been going this for a while now. Hope this works. If not I'm not sure what to do.

 

[kelck22]

Put food and water close. She should get t off once a days to eat drink and poop.

 

[Flybybirds]

We put crocks of her pellets, grit, water beside her. She gets mealy worms, kale and other scraps that she eats readily. When we let the others out in the pens for the day she comes down two times to wallow in the sand and exercise. Now I have to wait 19 days or more to see if they hatch. Can I candle the eggs while she is out you think? Maybe at five days or so? Waited too long before and found they were infertile. Don't want to do that again.

 

[kelck22]

Yes, when she is off them candle them. You can do it as early as 4 days, but has to be a week to be 100% sure.