Question about broody eggs finished in incubator

[kllyjansen]

Sounds like a good mom if she took them in. I would check on her in the am, but sounds like a good outcome hopefully.

Thanks for all your help!

 

[kllyjansen]

A quick update that all was well with chicks and momma this morning.

Unfortunately, I hear more peeping coming from the incubator so there may be at least one more chick I will try to sneak under the hen. I'm a bit nervous that the latecomers will be harder to integrate so will have a brooder ready.

 

[Settlers Grove]

We have a few broody hens for the first time, and somebody in the coop keeps moving the eggs around. Every night I have to candle eggs to see which are freshly laid for pulling out, and which are developing.

Generally speaking, do you leave the mama hen and her chicks in the coop with all the other hens and the rooster, or do I relocate them to a brooder for best results?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

We have a few broody hens for the first time, and somebody in the coop keeps moving the eggs around. Every night I have to candle eggs to see which are freshly laid for pulling out, and which are developing.

Generally speaking, do you leave the mama hen and her chicks in the coop with all the other hens and the rooster, or do I relocate them to a brooder for best results?

It's always best to keep them in the coop but separated, especially for the first week after hatch so the chicks don't wander, and the family gets off to a good start. The rest of the flock gets used to the sights and sounds before you let them go at 1-2 weeks. By than chicks can keep up and get out of the way of any crabby members.

I personally put a piece of wire fencing around my broody as she starts hatching, or I move her to it after most are hatched.

 

[kllyjansen]

My coop has a divider down the middle and a separate pen so I moved the hen and her chicks to the separated side after she left the nest. I had a couple other hens behaving a bit aggressively toward the chicks that wandered out from under momma. The hen wasn't happy about the move but settled in quickly.

 

[Settlers Grove]

It's always best to keep them in the coop but separated, especially for the first week after hatch so the chicks don't wander, and the family gets off to a good start. The rest of the flock gets used to the sights and sounds before you let them go at 1-2 weeks. By than chicks can keep up and get out of the way of any crabby members.

I personally put a piece of wire fencing around my broody as she starts hatching, or I move her to it after most are hatched.

Thanks for the tip! I've separated the two broody hens and their egg clutches. They weren't super thrilled about the change last night, but they seemed ok this morning. The chicks should start hatching any day now!

 

[kwhites634]

One of my hens just hatched a couple chicks 4-5 days ago, in the coop with the other four, including the rooster. I had other quarters set up for her & her chicks if things didn't go well, but there's been no problem. The coop is 3' off the ground, but the hen had both chicks out on the ground on the 2nd day, and they haven't been back in the coop since. Maybe the hen can't get one up the ramp. The three of them have spent the last two nights sleeping on the floor of the run, although I set up a small dog box under the coop.

 

[Settlers Grove]

We have 2 new chicks so far, and the mama hens are taking great care of them; we’ve barely been able to catch a glimpse of them as they’ve been snuggled up under the hens.