Hiya, and welcome to BYC!
How I break them in 2-4 days is get one of those metal dog crates with the plastic tray in the bottom. Ours is the 42" one. Pull the tray out and put it on top if you want.
Put the cage up on bricks a few inches from the ground.
Place a short 2x4 on one end so they aren't standing on wire. I tie a bucket of water in the opposite corner and tie a feeder in the other corner. (So nothing spills so I don't have to babysit it.)
Make sure the hen(s) are in shade if it's hot and have protection from rain/wind.
Leave them in it 24 hours then see if they're still acting like they've got chicks. If so, leave them there. If not, voila.
Prior to the wire pen, we used a pet pen on our gravel driveway. That worked okay but the above is way better!
to have you here with us. Enjoy your time here at BYC!
