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triciayoung said:
You will enjoy a broody hen hatching and probably won't ever want to do it any other way. I was surprised how much my broody hen did everything herself - all of the raising. If there is a next time, I think I would do it all outside within the chicken yard in their own area. This would help the chicks when they are "booted". The only hard part for me was the way mom treated the chicks at 5-6 weeks. I understand its time to "cut the cord", but she became mean to them and pecked them away when they would come near her. That was hard to watch.
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Thank you can I ask did you do anything special my girl is in one of the nesting boxes and I am worried about the other girls trying to use that box to lay and them fighting and breaking her fertal eggs. So we were thinking of building a box with chicken wire to place in front of the nesting box and leaving the end open so she could come and go and hopefully deter the rest of the flock from going into that nesting box. Also adding 2 more nesting boxes under the poop tray. I am new to this and want it to go smoothly. Do I put food and water close to her or just let her go out to the run? When the chicks hatch put food and water at there time in the area inside the coop?
 
CrazyChickLady64 said:
Welcome! 2 years wow! Maybe you can give advice to some of the newbies just starting out on this wild and wonderful journey of owning chickens. I myself just got my first 12 girls in April of 2023 and now have 22. I have lost 2 💔 of the original 12, got 3 pullets that I added in September. I hatched 10 for my niece and kept one of the roos then hatched 4 of 12 eggs, then 1 of 12 so I had to get her some friends so I found her 4 to grow up with her. Haha if that wasn't enough, I have one that just went broody yesterday and purchased her 6 eggs to hatch. This will be my first natural hatch. Learning as I go. I am loving every moment. So in 10 months I went from no chickens to 22 chickens 2 coops with runs and mini coop in the run of the main coop. A grow out coop in my laundry room and of course a brooder box in the house. Here are some pictures of it all. Again Welcome!
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Wow! I love the pics! I also have 22 chickens!!!!!

I have only had one natural hatching with a broody hen. It went really well, I'd say. That was in August of 2023 and 2 of the "chicks" are just recently laying!! It's always so exciting seeing a new hen in an egg box! The love and joy and pride for new layers never gets old. ❤️

Thanks for the warm welcome!
 
CrazyChickLady64 said:
Thank you can I ask did you do anything special my girl is in one of the nesting boxes and I am worried about the other girls trying to use that box to lay and them fighting and breaking her fertal eggs. So we were thinking of building a box with chicken wire to place in front of the nesting box and leaving the end open so she could come and go and hopefully deter the rest of the flock from going into that nesting box. Also adding 2 more nesting boxes under the poop tray. I am new to this and want it to go smoothly. Do I put food and water close to her or just let her go out to the run? When the chicks hatch put food and water at there time in the area inside the coop?
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Me personally would let the hen, while sitting on eggs, go get her food and water at the regular place so she gets her exercise. Then when the chicks hatch, she'll take them there too. I would then change out the feed in that feeder to chick starter crumbles. It will be good for the older chickens too, especially your rooster(s), but you'll have to have a dish of oyster shell out for the hens as starter doesn't have as much as layer feed.

The momma hen will protect her chicks and the others will learn to stay away from her.
 
CrazyChickLady64 said:
Thank you can I ask did you do anything special my girl is in one of the nesting boxes and I am worried about the other girls trying to use that box to lay and them fighting and breaking her fertal eggs. So we were thinking of building a box with chicken wire to place in front of the nesting box and leaving the end open so she could come and go and hopefully deter the rest of the flock from going into that nesting box. Also adding 2 more nesting boxes under the poop tray. I am new to this and want it to go smoothly. Do I put food and water close to her or just let her go out to the run? When the chicks hatch put food and water at there time in the area inside the coop?
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I usually put my broody girls in a dog kennel inside the covered run. That way they are still part of the flock and I don't worry about other girls breaking the eggs.
A heavy duty tarp wrapped around it keeps the rain out. I just make a nest inside it using a basket with straw in it. I attach kennel cups for food and water. I let them out 2x a day.
 
CrazyChickLady64 said:
Thank you can I ask did you do anything special my girl is in one of the nesting boxes and I am worried about the other girls trying to use that box to lay and them fighting and breaking her fertal eggs. So we were thinking of building a box with chicken wire to place in front of the nesting box and leaving the end open so she could come and go and hopefully deter the rest of the flock from going into that nesting box. Also adding 2 more nesting boxes under the poop tray. I am new to this and want it to go smoothly. Do I put food and water close to her or just let her go out to the run? When the chicks hatch put food and water at there time in the area inside the coop?
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I have a broody hen area - it is a small coop - that is all they need. The broody hen will come off the eggs once or twice a day and eat, drink and poop quickly and then go back. No other hens can get to the broody hen or her eggs.
 

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