I'm a daddy! But need your folks advice

[El Pollo Chicken]

Hiya guys - I've been envying all of your natural born chicks for about 3 years now. A random mother decided to go broody, and wala - today I'm a daddy.

She has set in the lower row of nest boxes...but they are about 2 1/2 feet up from the ground. I'm afraid when they go to leave the nest that some will break their legs or necks.

Here's where I need your advice; do I leave them where they are (and look the other way), or place them in a corner of the chicken shed, or place them in an enclosed shelter I already have setup for 8, two week old chicks I bought from Tractor Supply? Or something else?

Thanks all in advance.

BTW, they are black sex links, in case you need to know their weight.

 

[dieselgrl48]

I keep a close eye on broodie's if they are in high nest boxes.I currently have one OEGB sitting 10 egg's under a corn crib and check her daily.Even though she is ground level.I will mover her once she hatches at least a couple of the egg's to a safer place along with any unhatched in a penned ground level nest box.I have a Columbian Wyandotte also sitting some egg's but in old horse stall in corner so will most likely leave her there maybe add a lot of fresh hay or pine shavings once she hatches them.I have 2 coops which have high next boxes on a couple of level's.The babie's will get out and the mama will most likely leave any unhatched egg's in the nest to tend the young.My silkie hatched 6 babie's a while back but she abandoned 2 egg's one which died in hatch and one I almost threw out but lucklily heard the peep and finished hatching it in bator.And she sat in a bottom nest box with easy acess for chicks to get in and out.I have a few homemade nest boxes I keep handy for broodie's or new mama's.You can cut a cardboard box front out and put a little hay or shavings in for a makeshift one if you dont have one made.

 

[True Grit]

OMG that is the sweetest pic every!

So you can just move mom and babies all together to a lower nest?

 

[dieselgrl48]

I always have with good sucess.I usualy wont bother hen's if they nest in an "unsavory" area until they hatch a few of thier egg's.But don't leave her long or she will try getting the first hatched food and water first.If you have a ledge or something near nesting area you can try a small lid of water and a lil food if the hen is sitting a lot of egg's.If she has done hatched them all I would move her right away.The pic is one of my frizzle hen's last year.That lil hen even hatched a turkey egg too .

 

[El Pollo Chicken]

Well thank you - I took both of your advice. I put some water in a bowl this morning before work and stuck a 2x4 in front in case one of my chicks felt like being Evil Caneveil. This afternoon all was perfectly fine. Had a box and moved em all to ground level! Yea! thank you Backyard Chickens peeps!