Options for Broody Hen Raising Chicks in Coop

[tori729]

I just got some fertilized eggs for my thrice-broody this year hen! This is my first time doing this. We have 8 hens in a nice run in our yard with a coop that's about 2-3 feet above the ground. Broody "River", a buff brahma, is currently in one of the three nesting boxes with her six eggs. I would prefer to keep her in the coop/run area while she is sitting, however, I'm trying to figure out the best method of separating her from the rest of the flock. I could rope off a section of the coop but I'm not quite sure how to do that. The whole side of the coop opens up with the nesting boxes attached to the door on the left and the other side just opens straight out. I'm thinking about putting a small cage in that area but I know a dog crate would have too big openings.
Another option is to set up something in the run. My run is NOT predator proof but I have thought it might be good to get a secondary smaller coop anyway for quarantining new/sick chickens or breaking broodies anyway so that might be an option. I currently have a large dog crate that I bought initially to keep pullets before they had a coop and I have a chicken tractor which is too big for the coop and not predator proof enough for the run.
Thoughts?

 

[Yardmom]

Are you hoping to keep her separate while she sets? I would not try to move her after giving her purchased eggs. (Use fake or eggs that are not valuable to move to a new place before giving special eggs)
Anyway at this point fence other hens away or just pick eggs that have been added daily.

 

[tori729]

Are you hoping to keep her separate while she sets? I would not try to move her after giving her purchased eggs. (Use fake or eggs that are not valuable to move to a new place before giving special eggs)
Anyway at this point fence other hens away or just pick eggs that have been added daily.

I just gave her the eggs yesterday. Is it now too late to move her? I would literally be moving her a few feet but into a caged area.

 

[Yardmom]

There is a chance it will work, but if she doesn't settle right away she could shake the eggs up, or let the eggs get to cool. Her instincts are to get back to her original nest. Depends on the hen how quickly they decide or, if they decide that the new nest will work.

 

[Ridgerunner]

As you probably now understand the best time to move her was before you got the hatching eggs. Nothing you can do about it now, just something to remember for next time. Don't beat yourself up, it happens to a lot of people. The failure would be to not learn for the next time.

To me you have two options. One is to let her hatch where she is. Many of us do it that way. Mark the eggs so you know which ones belong and remove any eggs that are added each day. Check under her after the others have laid for the day. You can use any fresh egg you find as long as you remove them daily.

The other option is to prepare a place that she cannot get out of and no other chicken can get into. Of course you want it predator safe. Provide a nest, food, water, and not much else. Fairly small is good. I find it works better if the nest is fairly dark. When I do this I move her at night. I have a door on the nest to lock her in there for most of the following day, letting her out into the rest of her cage with food and water just a little before dark. Plan to leave her in that cage until the chicks hatch.

Does this work each and every time? No, not always. But it usually does. Good luck!

 

[tori729]

As you probably now understand the best time to move her was before you got the hatching eggs. Nothing you can do about it now, just something to remember for next time. Don't beat yourself up, it happens to a lot of people. The failure would be to not learn for the next time.

To me you have two options. One is to let her hatch where she is. Many of us do it that way. Mark the eggs so you know which ones belong and remove any eggs that are added each day. Check under her after the others have laid for the day. You can use any fresh egg you find as long as you remove them daily.

The other option is to prepare a place that she cannot get out of and no other chicken can get into. Of course you want it predator safe. Provide a nest, food, water, and not much else. Fairly small is good. I find it works better if the nest is fairly dark. When I do this I move her at night. I have a door on the nest to lock her in there for most of the following day, letting her out into the rest of her cage with food and water just a little before dark. Plan to leave her in that cage until the chicks hatch.

Does this work each and every time? No, not always. But it usually does. Good luck!

Thanks! I think I will keep her where she is for now and figure out separating her later. She's safe and happy and has access to food and water. Once babies hatch I will need to pen them off in the coop away from the rest with food and water. Would a small dog pen work or are the holes too big for chicks? The coop has a large ramp so that's where I need to make sure the babies cannot go. Do I just put food and water in for the mom as well? How do I make sure she can leave to run around/dust bathe, etc?

What about candling? Is that something I should do or just not bother with?

 

[DobieLover]

Once babies hatch I will need to pen them off in the coop away from the rest with food and water.

Generally speaking, you should not remove the mother and chicks from the flock.
How large is your flock?
How large is your coop?
Can you post pictures of it?
Is your run predator proof with a solid roof?

Do I just put food and water in for the mom as well?

Mom will feed the chicks. The entire flock should be kept on an all flock type of feed because neither mom nor the chicks should be eating layer feed with all that extra calcium. You put out a separate container or 2 of oyster shell for free choice feeding by the active layers.

How do I make sure she can leave to run around/dust bathe, etc?

It sounds like she's set where she is. She will manage her breaks on her own. As mentioned, make sure you mark her hatching eggs and remove any eggs deposited into her nest each and every day.

What about candling?

I like to candle on day 7 to remove any duds. It's up to you. You can just leave them and see how the hatch goes. Mom will typically leave the nest 1 to 3 days after the first chick hatches. Anything that didn't hatch is abandoned and probably not viable.

 

[tori729]

Generally speaking, you should not remove the mother and chicks from the flock.
How large is your flock?
How large is your coop?
Can you post pictures of it?
Is your run predator proof with a solid roof?

Here are pictures. The coop is raised off the ground. One side opens and the nesting boxes are built into the door. She is in the least used box which doesn't seem to be a problem. I have eight hens total.
The right side of the coop near the door is where I would consider putting a small pen to block off an area for her and chicks when they hatch. I can't really block off where she is right now b/c it's attached to the door.
The run is NOT predator proof.

Mom will feed the chicks. The entire flock should be kept on an all flock type of feed because neither mom nor the chicks should be eating layer feed with all that extra calcium. You put out a separate container or 2 of oyster shell for free choice feeding by the active layers.

I would much prefer to block her off with her own food and water that the chicks can eat too, once the chicks are born so I can continue having the rest of my flock eat layer feed. I realize though that this would only be possible for the first week or two right? Once chicks are big enough to climb down the ramp, I would need to change the food correct?

It sounds like she's set where she is. She will manage her breaks on her own. As mentioned, make sure you mark her hatching eggs and remove any eggs deposited into her nest each and every day.

Yes, she's fine where she is for now. My question is when the chicks all hatch and I can section them off, does she need to be able to get out for that first week or two? If so, how would I block off a section but allow her to get out? Should I just go in and make her leave once a day?

 

[DobieLover]

With a flock that size and her grafted to the nest box she's grafted to, I would just leave her alone to raise the chicks within the flock. There aren't that many other birds and they seem to have a decent amount of space. I would not try to isolate her and her chicks and feed them separately. I would switch everybody over right now. That way you are prepared for when the chicks hatch. And for the many months afterwards when they should not be eating layer feed.

Hens raise their chicks around flock members all the time. And with her remaining in the flock, coming and going off that nest, they know full well what's going on. When the chicks arrive they will just be new members of the flock. Some of the hens will be curious about the chicks and may even peck them. But they don't do it in a malicious fashion. It's the only way they can investigate them.

Mom will continue to act her broody self to let them know she will protect her chicks.

I would add one more cleat between each of the cleats that are currently on that ramp. They're awfully far apart. For probably the first 5 to 10 days you're going to have to help her get her chicks back into the coop at night.

She will want to nest with them in a corner of the coop or possibly in the nest box she hatched them in. She and her chicks will go to roost first each night and they will also be the first to leave the coop in the morning, if they have the ability to do so.

How large is your run and what is in it? There should be lots of places to roost and hide behind.

 

[tori729]

Thanks, that's all super helpful! I guess I need to go get some regular chicken feed.

The run is pretty big. (I'm horrible at dimensions.) Since the coop is elevated, there's lots of space under the coop for shelter. There's also space for dust bathing and there's loose netting at the top. It's in a corner of our yard which is fully fenced in.
We usually let the chickens out in late afternoon to run around but I would think we would keep her and her chicks in the run at first to keep them safe as they grow and learn. Our biggest (only?) predators are hawks but we have a lot of trees and hiding spots in our backyard for them to run to if they sense danger.