Is it time to return broody mom back with her Crew

[ChickadeeNiche]

Good day…

I have a broody Buff. She was sitting on 6 eggs. Thus far 2 have survive they are about 3 or 4 days old. I found 2 dead ones in the crate and I see one egg and dunno where the other egg is. It’s a medium size crate but yesterday she was doing a lot of leg stretching. I have a HUGE coop and run. I thought about either two options: 1. Putting her back in the coop with the 2 babies and placing something at the entrance to keep the babies from falling out. The coop is rather high but it would allow the other hens to get in and out; or 2. Putting the crate inside the run and keeping the crate open so she and the chicks have free range inside the chicken mansion lower level.

Another option…
I successfully hatched 11 leg horn eggs in the incubator. They are about 5 to 2 days old. I have an oblong standard trough where I intend on moving the babies to with a heat lamp, or could I put both mama and her 2 chicks in there and then try and put the 11 babies with mama? If so how should I do this? They are mostly just a few days older then the 2 with mama. These were from her collection of 28 eggs I took because i didn’t and wasn’t ready for chicken multiplication So I cleaned out the chicken mansion coop (as I’m told ii built ) yesterday making ready. I need to make/get another coop. I also moved Ernie the roo out so Im not having more chickens. I don’t wanna over crowd what i have 15 chickens in there, mama and her two will make 18, and the 11 I will give have away — plan on getting another coop soon, very soon. The chickens I have have a sprawling addition attached to their coop that’s a whole dirt ground that they hang out in as well but i need another coop. I will be taking some to be butchered about 6 or more.

Open for suggestions

 

[WIchickMama]

I have a mama hatching babies now, 2 yesterday and 3 overnight and 1 to go. I just sectioned off a spot in our coop and put some food and water in. She is still in her nest (which is part of the enclosed area) but hopefully will come off with babies today. I will not move her, she knows best, right? I am going to leave them there for about 5ish days and then open it up and let them out. Or totally remove it, I haven't decided yet.

So, my suggestion would be to move her to the coop

 

[ChickadeeNiche]

I moved them all to the coop and closed it off to the other hens. I first put a couple in the crate with her — she did fine. Added 2 more, no problem — they are al;l inside the coop. I’ll be watching. I have 6 nesting boxes in there with fresh pine straw