New to chickens-well sorta

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chicks071123

Chirping
May 16, 2020
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Hello BYC peeps,
I am sorta new to chickens. New in that its been a few years since I had them, this time around we inherited our neighbors chickens and we have a sweet rooster. So we’ve got 2 broody hens sitting on one egg each. Being new to this Rooster in the mix thing-I have no idea what I am doing. I have a Carolina Coop that my family and I built so its not dead on, but oh so close. My question is this. Due to the nesting boxes being up a ramp, then down into the actual hen house, then up another ramp to get to the nesting boxes-will baby do okay, or when it hatches, should I put mom and baby in a crate in the garage, or in the run of the coop until it is older? I’m sorry if this seems obvious. I just have read several threads on other websites and opinions are a range of ways to go about. I appreciate feedback
 
You currently have 2 different birds sitting each on eggs in the main coop?

I believe most people move them to a secure spot where the rest of the flock can't bother them before they eggs hatch. Just because a bird is broody doesn't mean the eggs will hatch nor does it mean they will not kill the chicks once they hatch. Do you have a spot you can move them too now? Do you have an incubator incase they abandon the eggs once you move them?
 
I'm not going to be very helpful because our coop has 2 sides of nesting boxes and when someone (or some two) go broody, I just shut one side of the coop so they can be broody and no other hens can try to lay in there or anything.

Can you contain them in there somehow? I've never had chicks have problems with ramps as long as I've checked on them and made sure they made it wherever mom was sitting for the night. They generally seem to figure it out pretty fast and the good moms will make sure their chicks are with them.

Keep us posted! I hope everything works out for your broodies and your chicks!

Welcome to BackYard Chickens!
 
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Hiya, and welcome to BYC! :frow

When I used to let the hens hatch, I always left them where they were until just before hatch time, then set up a box on the floor of the coop with their chick crumbles and little waterer with marbles in so they wouldn't drown. Nobody bothers them. Mom will defend and the rooster would help too if anyone got too close.

Once, I was late and the chicks came down the ramp themselves. I still set up a box then as I wasn't so sure they'd be able to go back up, so that way it was mom's choice and she had a Plan A or B lol.

Here's the ramps the chicks would come down from. Our coop was new in this picture. It's 8 years old now.

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