Question On Integrating a Broody and Her Chicks

[hnorth]

I have a 1st time broody sitting on 9 marked eggs in a small cardboard wine box on the floor of the main coop. It is day 10 of her sitting and she seems like she is in it for the long haul.

In addition, she has an "assistant" or helper hen, who sits on her eggs whilst she is off the nest. The rest on the flock seems to have accepted her project; no other bird except her helper tries to interfere with her efforts.

My question centers on likely events on hatching day. With her in a open nest box on the floor of the coop, what is likely to happen when the new chicks arrive? Obviously, having the flock attack the chicks would be a highly undesirable outcome.

Is creating a separate maternity ward area necessary?
should I set up a nearby water and crumbles station within the coop, for the hatchlings?

 

[Cinnamon Roll]

My flock has never interfered with hatching but I’m sure it depends on the flock, the hen’s status and aggression level.

(This assumes the nest box is chick-safe and has sides they can get out of and back in.) On hatch day(s) the hen will still want to sit on the remaining eggs while the earliest chicks want to explore a little. At that time you can put some chick-accessible food and water near the hen - and that is when I sometimes need to put a little fence around the new family because the rest of the flock only wants THAT food and THAT water even if it’s the same as what they already have. Then the chicks can get separated and confused and there is total chaos and screaming babies.

 

[hnorth]

I have a 1st time broody sitting on 9 marked eggs in a small cardboard wine box on the floor of the main coop. It is day 10 of her sitting and she seems like she is in it for the long haul.

In addition, she has an "assistant" or helper hen, who sits on her eggs whilst she is off the nest. The rest on the flock seems to have accepted her project; no other bird except her helper tries to interfere with her efforts.

My question centers on likely events on hatching day. With her in a open nest box on the floor of the coop, what is likely to happen when the new chicks arrive? Obviously, having the flock attack the chicks would be a highly undesirable outcome.

Is creating a separate maternity ward area necessary?
should I set up a nearby water and crumbles station within the coop, for the hatchlings?

That was exactly the kind of reply that I was hoping for. Because it means that my interferes will be minimal. I did transfer the eggs and nesting materials to a new box with much lower sides to facilitate the little peepers egress from under their mum- when they're ready to do so. Btw, the breed is Icelandic and their natural instincts are rather powerful compared to other more domestic breeds that I have had in the past. Im confident that the flock will know what to do when it comes to the natural increase of the flock.

I just checked and the broody has settled nicely into the new, low-rise nest.