I let our broody ( cochin bantam ) hatch out 3 babies in a nesting box, they are now a week old. After a big hen jumped into their box to lay an egg and crushed one of them( and pecked it's eyes out) I put hardware cloth up. Now when I let the mama out to poop and stretch she get clobbered by the others. They other hens of course see and hear the chicks everyday but I'm sure they will attack them once let out. The poor things are dying to get out, it's hot and stuffy in there. Everybody says to separate the broody and her eggs/chicks but how do you get them all to mingle ???? The thing is that the mama is sooooo docile that I don't know if she will do anything to protect her chicks. She never once tried to peck at us or the hens that would sneak in and lay in her box. They have a large run but don't free range yet so letting the big hens out while the newbies go in isn't an option...
