New brooder

[Sdan]

I just had a hen start setting. Should I move her while setting or wait till chicks hatch?

 

[Pyxis]

!

That depends. If you move her now you could end up breaking her and she will no longer be broody. Or she could refuse to sit on the eggs in the new place. If you wait until the chicks hatch to move her, she will not break from being broody and she will not abandon them as she might eggs if she doesn't take to the new place you move her to. But leaving her until she hatches means you need to have a way to keep other hens out of her nest, or at least mark the eggs she has and take all new eggs laid in her nest daily.

 

[Sdan]

Thank you. I do have some other concerns though. Being a greenhorn at raising chickens I built my henhouse myself just kinda winging it, yes the pun was intended. I built the nest boxes about 18 inches off the floor for protection. Now Im concerned the new chicks may fall out or get hurt when they decide to leave the nest box. I have one other hen and one rooster. the rooster is real mellow so Im not to worried about him but the other hen is the dominate hen so Im a little worried about her. I do have a small chicken tractor with a plastic doghouse I can move them to when I can.

 

[Pork Pie]

You can always put momma and chicks onto the ground once the chicks have hatched - maybe a dog crate with food and water. Ideally, keeping her in the main coop is a good idea for both her and the chicks. I let momma make her own decisions, and she happily sits with her chicks on the main coop, and takes them outside when she wishes. The rest of the flock largely ignores the chicks. I was not not laissez faire for my first couple of hatches, but I underestimated the ability of momma - they are quite amazing.

Good luck and regardless of any advice, do what you feel is the right thing.

Ct