Mama and babies

[Henniezues]

Hello!
I’ve read several articles but wanted to reach out for a few opinions. I have a mama hen currently setting on about 9 eggs due to hatch within the next 7 days or so. The only other hen I have is her first baby (about a year and a half) and they share a large coop and pen. Do I need to separate the mama and babies from our other hen?
also, do I need to worry about their coop being off the ground? Concerned about the babies falling out? She did great with her first chicks but only had two and one didn’t make it
Thank you

 

[KmetijaRejc]

I currently have 39 beaks and they share around 500 square feet of a barn and around 0.5 acre of free range outside space. Hens went broody and hatched chicks in a barn and they did not have any problems so far (I assume because of the ammount of space available). How big is your coop? So far I noticed that broody hens like to keep other hens away and they get agressive if one comes to close to their nest (In my case that's around 5 feet distance). How are your hens getting along right now? I would assume that if they get along now, you should also be fine when the chicks hatch.

How high is your coop? Once one of my hens hatched her cluster on a elevated shelf (around 3 feet from the ground and I made a wooden 'wall' 8 inches tall around the shelf she was sitting on and a small ladder attached to it. I also put a small water and feed bowls inside of the 'wall'. When the chicks hatched they couldn't jump over the 'wall' but the hen was able to jump over it and get some exercise. When the chicks were around 14 days old they were also able to jump over the 'wall' and get on the ground and they didn't have any problems, exept getting back in the nest in the evening. They didn't figure out how the ladder works at first - I had to pick them up in the evening and put them back in the nest for about a week.
Maybe something like that can also work for you.
Good luck with baby chicks

 

[Henniezues]

I currently have 39 beaks and they share around 500 square feet of a barn and around 0.5 acre of free range outside space. Hens went broody and hatched chicks in a barn and they did not have any problems so far (I assume because of the ammount of space available). How big is your coop? So far I noticed that broody hens like to keep other hens away and they get agressive if one comes to close to their nest (In my case that's around 5 feet distance). How are your hens getting along right now? I would assume that if they get along now, you should also be fine when the chicks hatch.

How high is your coop? Once one of my hens hatched her cluster on a elevated shelf (around 3 feet from the ground and I made a wooden 'wall' 8 inches tall around the shelf she was sitting on and a small ladder attached to it. I also put a small water and feed bowls inside of the 'wall'. When the chicks hatched they couldn't jump over the 'wall' but the hen was able to jump over it and get some exercise. When the chicks were around 14 days old they were also able to jump over the 'wall' and get on the ground and they didn't have any problems, exept getting back in the nest in the evening. They didn't figure out how the ladder works at first - I had to pick them up in the evening and put them back in the nest for about a week.
Maybe something like that can also work for you.
Good luck with baby chicks

I currently have 39 beaks and they share around 500 square feet of a barn and around 0.5 acre of free range outside space. Hens went broody and hatched chicks in a barn and they did not have any problems so far (I assume because of the ammount of space available). How big is your coop? So far I noticed that broody hens like to keep other hens away and they get agressive if one comes to close to their nest (In my case that's around 5 feet distance). How are your hens getting along right now? I would assume that if they get along now, you should also be fine when the chicks hatch.

How high is your coop? Once one of my hens hatched her cluster on a elevated shelf (around 3 feet from the ground and I made a wooden 'wall' 8 inches tall around the shelf she was sitting on and a small ladder attached to it. I also put a small water and feed bowls inside of the 'wall'. When the chicks hatched they couldn't jump over the 'wall' but the hen was able to jump over it and get some exercise. When the chicks were around 14 days old they were also able to jump over the 'wall' and get on the ground and they didn't have any problems, exept getting back in the nest in the evening. They didn't figure out how the ladder works at first - I had to pick them up in the evening and put them back in the nest for about a week.
Maybe something like that can also work for you.
Good luck with baby chicks

thank you!
Their enclosed pen is Probably about 20x15 and their coop is large enough for 6 large hens but they have just over 1/2 acre to free roam. They are both getting along good now and always have but I can tell the younger hen is confused and missing her mama. They both stay in the coop/pen together. The wall is a great idea and I have a water/food feeder I can put in the coop too.
thanks again

 

[KmetijaRejc]

Sounds like you have more than enough space then Good luck