I finally got a broody hen

[2468Chickensrgr8]

Yes I think the eggs will be fine...Were the other hens laying their eggs on the nest with the eggs?in it...its now a waiting game...its going to drive you CRAZY!!! You will feel every minute in the day ...tick tock tick tock ....some hens sit all day on their eggs and some get up and wander ....tick tock tick tock .....lol

 

[kezabel]

oh good i thought they would get to cold with her not sitting on them for 40 minutes. I feel like a mother of a new baby lol and there arn't any chicks yet

my DH thinks i'm going loopy but I don't care

 

[kezabel]

ok another question about when the chicks hatch. I have left the broody hen and the eggs in the coop, she seems to be doing fine I keep checking on her to see if she looks dehydrated or sick looking. Now I am thinking about after the chicks hatch how will they go in the nesting box with her? The box is big enough but I was wondering because the nesting box is about 12 inches of the ground, will the chicks wander out and fall to the ground not being able to get back in? Should I build a nesting box at ground level? also what bedding should I put in the nesting box when they hatch? I use straw at the moment, should I change to wood shavings?
Cheers for reading this, I know I've asked alot

 

[2468Chickensrgr8]

You cannot ask to many questions on here !!! Trust me !!! I have asked the same questions !!!

If you can try and get her on the floor....try and do it at night .....

Its hard to say because a friend of mine has free ranging chickens and they nest ALL over the place !! Way up on top of the Hay/straw piles and the babies are fine when they hatch out.....But she has alot of chickens and they all dont come in the coop to lay......

But I on the other hand I am a worry wart ...when my little bantam first went broody I just put her and her eggs on the floor and covered her with a small wire open bottom dog cage ...with food and water because she was at the bottom of the pecking order and
I had alot of other girls wanting to lay eggs in her nest ...it worked for me ....now I just pick her up and place her in a broody crate with her eggs and she loves it ...we call it the spa....and the babies hang out with her in the cage/or broody crate until I feel there ready to go ...
once there out and about during the day I still pick them up and place them in the broody crate if I want to make sure they get food and water ....or if its cold outside

You know come to think of it....I just read your post again ...chicks can jump pretty high....and when mama calls they come running and if they cannot see her you will definetly hear them squealing for her ...I would just build up the floor underneath the nest box and maybe that'll help them flutter back up ...If you had alot of chickens maybe I would try putting them in a broody area....
I hope this helps .....