Moving broody hen on day 19?

[Lunawriter]

I have a broody setting 7 eggs on a shelf. I just moved the other chickens to a new coop this morning to give her and her future babies (the seven under her and hopefully the ones from my bator) some privacy and now I'm wondering what to do about the fact that she's sitting up on a shelf and not on the bottom of the coop. How do those who have hens hatching in nesting boxes get the babies to the ground without hurting them? I don't really have any way of blocking it off to keep the babies up there without trapping the mama up there as well. Should I go out and move the hen and the whole shebang to the bottom of the coop? I tried to get her to move to the bottom before putting eggs under her, but she was persistant in going back to the shelf so I finally just put them under her up there. I'd hate for her to abandon the eggs for her shelf if I moved them at this point, but I'd also hate to injur any little chicky babies as well. Any advice?

 

[Gypsy07]

Is there any way you could put a temporary 5" or so wall round the nest?
Just to stop the chicks falling once they hatch?
A very low wall would probably be enough...

 

[Lunawriter]

So weird, I subscribed to this topic and others and no notifications.

Anyway, the way the coop is constructed, putting even a 5 inch wall around the shelf would keep the mama from getting down when the roof of the coop is closed. The angle of the roof barely leaves a her enough space to get up and down. It was a free coop and I can't complain, but that part is a bit difficult to surmount.

Maybe I could just surround the little box she's in and she could step further over onto the shelf to get down. Hmmm, there's a thought. I'll try that tomorrow. I just hope no chickies hatch before that....

 

[txchickie]

How high up is she?

I have an insane japanese bantam hen that INSISTS on laying eggs in old birdsnests' in the cedar trees, I finally just gave up and let her and somehow, she got all 3 of her babies safely to the ground. She was at least 7ft up there.

 

[rcentner]

I have moved a hen on day 18 to a new coop, if you decide to move her this is what I did and it worked great. I have 4, 3 week old chicks today!
I will also note that I moved a sitting hen last year, in a different fashion, and it did not work out...she got off the nest and gave up.
So this last time I:

set up a dog crate with bedding and make the bedding in a nest pattern...guesstimate how big of a nest she has now.
IN THE DARK after roosting time, move the hen to the side of the eggs...it may seem like she is gonna peck and get super mad, but mine did not
Take the eggs, carefully, and set them exactly as they lay onto the new nest. I even set them in the same order as they were.
Then move the hen onto the clutch of eggs, CLOSE the door of the crate.
I offered her water and food twice a day, idk if that is necessary since she would not have gotten up to eat anyway, but she was lovin the water.

She hatched out 4 chicks on exactly day 21 in her new brooder, then I let her and the new chicks out and she hasn't decided to roost again until this past week and all the chicks (except one, that I put up there every night so it's not cold) can get up onto the roost with mama.
now, if you don't close the door to the crate she will get up and go back to the original nest (learned the hard way on that one)
Good luck with your broody!

 

[rancher hicks]

Piece of cake! Make a set up on the floor or lower and then when she hatches the eggs move her and the chicks to the lower level. I wouldn't move her now though. If you are going to move a broody do it as quickly as possible and do it at night.