Never had a broody hen

[Ridgerunner]

How big (in feet) is your coop? How big (in feet) is your run? How big (in inches) is your nest? Can you provide photos of the coop and run, including the ramp and the nest? It would help to know what you are working with.

I've seen a broody hen get her chicks down from a 10 feet high hayloft. She said jump and they did, then jumped up and ran to her. I've regularly had hens hatch in nests 2' and 4' above the coop floor. The chicks get down without being injured, but they cannot get back up in the nests so the hen takes them to sleep on the coop floor. I do not anticipate any problem from them falling off of the ramp.

Where they may have a problem is getting back up. What often happens the first few nights is that the hen goes to the top of the ramp (often flies up) and calls them. Instead of going to the base of the ramp and walking up they run under her and cannot get up there. You need to be out there the first few nights to help them up until you are confident they can manage on their own. Or provide a predator-safe place where the hen and chicks can sleep.

My other concern is my coop is only meant for 4-6 birds. There really isn’t room in there for chick feed and waterer… not to mention they will probably eat the chick starter

That's why I'm really interested in the size. It may not be big enough for the new chicks, either while they are with the broody, after the broody weans them and leaves them on their own, or after they mature. They often need a lot more room after the broody weans them but before they mature than they will after they mature. This may be your most critical time.

Layer feed contains too much calcium for the chicks to safely grow up on. If your hens are eating Layer the chicks will also, you cannot keep them out of it. What most of us do when we have immature chicks in with laying hens that do need the calcium is to provide them all the same low-calcium feed and offer oyster shell on the side for the hens that need the extra calcium for eggshells. They will all probably peck at the oyster shell, the growing chicks need calcium too, but they generally do not eat enough calcium to harm themselves. They are usually pretty good at self-regulating.

Welcome to the journey. It can be a lot of fun but it can also be stressful. Good luck!

 

[Melnich]

How big (in feet) is your coop? How big (in feet) is your run? How big (in inches) is your nest? Can you provide photos of the coop and run, including the ramp and the nest? It would help to know what you are working with.

I've seen a broody hen get her chicks down from a 10 feet high hayloft. She said jump and they did, then jumped up and ran to her. I've regularly had hens hatch in nests 2' and 4' above the coop floor. The chicks get down without being injured, but they cannot get back up in the nests so the hen takes them to sleep on the coop floor. I do not anticipate any problem from them falling off of the ramp.

Where they may have a problem is getting back up. What often happens the first few nights is that the hen goes to the top of the ramp (often flies up) and calls them. Instead of going to the base of the ramp and walking up they run under her and cannot get up there. You need to be out there the first few nights to help them up until you are confident they can manage on their own. Or provide a predator-safe place where the hen and chicks can sleep.


That's why I'm really interested in the size. It may not be big enough for the new chicks, either while they are with the broody, after the broody weans them and leaves them on their own, or after they mature. They often need a lot more room after the broody weans them but before they mature than they will after they mature. This may be your most critical time.

Layer feed contains too much calcium for the chicks to safely grow up on. If your hens are eating Layer the chicks will also, you cannot keep them out of it. What most of us do when we have immature chicks in with laying hens that do need the calcium is to provide them all the same low-calcium feed and offer oyster shell on the side for the hens that need the extra calcium for eggshells. They will all probably peck at the oyster shell, the growing chicks need calcium too, but they generally do not eat enough calcium to harm themselves. They are usually pretty good at self-regulating.

Welcome to the journey. It can be a lot of fun but it can also be stressful. Good luck!

Ridge runner- I already know that the hen coop is not equipped to handle 4 hens and potentially 12 chicks- I have a great big house for our meat birds that we do once a year- my question though- how do I move her to ensure that she doesn’t abandon her eggs and ensure she hatches all of them

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

how do I move her to ensure that she doesn’t abandon her eggs and ensure she hatches all of them

The problem is that moving her nest might be enough to make her abandon the eggs. I wouldn’t move her until after they hatch. They won’t be out and eating for a couple days after hatch anyway. @Ridgerunner has done this more than I have so you might get different (and better advice) but that is my two cents.

 

[Melnich]

I really appreciate your advice. Very very much!

 

[BDutch]

My other concern is my coop is only meant for 4-6 birds.

Ridge runner- I already know that the hen coop is not equipped to handle 4 hens and potentially 12 chicks- I have a great big house for our meat birds that we do once a year- my question though- how do I move her to ensure that she doesn’t abandon her eggs and ensure she hatches all of them

If you need more space, you better start building an extension to the current coop or connect the meat bird house to the coop or run within a few weeks after the hatch.

If the meat bird house is a good accommodation for the chicken family. You can move mother and chicks (and the eggs that haven’t hatched) to the meat bird house within 2 days after the first chick hatched.

The chicks should be able to eat and drink within 2 days after the hatch. If you don’t , the broody probably will go to a more convenient spot within the current coop with her chicks after the hatch. And she abandons the eggs that are due later.
An overcrowded coop may lead to problems (harassment).

 

[Melnich]

If you need more space, you better start building an extension to the current coop or connect the meat bird house to the coop or run within a few weeks after the hatch.

If the meat bird house is a good accommodation for the chicken family. You can move mother and chicks (and the eggs that haven’t hatched) to the meat bird house within 2 days after the first chick hatched.

The chicks should be able to eat and drink within 2 days after the hatch. If you don’t , the broody probably will go to a more convenient spot within the current coop with her chicks after the hatch. And she abandons the eggs that are due later.
An overcrowded coop may lead to problems (harassment).

This is my fear so I want to be proactive. Extending the coops is not an option

 

[Ridgerunner]

Ridge runner- I already know that the hen coop is not equipped to handle 4 hens and potentially 12 chicks- I have a great big house for our meat birds that we do once a year- my question though- how do I move her to ensure that she doesn’t abandon her eggs and ensure she hatches all of them

What does the coop and nest look like? You may not need to move her until after they hatch. I'm asking for information to consider that.

You cannot "ensure" that you can move her without the risk of her abandoning the eggs. You do not get guarantees with living animals. The way I move one, usually successfully, is to prepare an area for her. Include a nest, room for food and water, and not much else room. A broody hen should know by instinct to not poop in her nest but that does not include food or water, you'll probably need to do some cleaning regularly. Make the nest and area kind of dark (dark seems to calm them some). Move her at night when it is dark with as little commotion as you can manage. Leave her locked in that area until the eggs hatch. That keeps all other hens out.

I make the nest itself so I can lock her in there and keep it very dark. I leave her locked in there until late the nest day, then open it up a little before dark. Sometimes they come out to eat, drink, and poop, sometimes not. If you need to, put her back on the eggs when it gets dark and open the nest up the next morning, leaving her locked in that area. This works most of the time but with living animals you do not get guarantees.