Raising chicks with a broody, in-flock, raised coop

[andreamunroe]

Hello! My buff Orpington, Harriet, has gone broody for the 4th time in a year, and I’ve decided to let her have some fertilized eggs that a friend is giving me. I’m going to let her stay in her nest in the coop with my other hens, we have 6 in total: 2 buffs, 2 RIRs and 2 blue australorps. Her nest is a desk drawer on the floor of the coop, under the poop board and sheltered on 3 sides. I’ll mark the eggs in case the other ladies lay in that nest.

my big question: my coop is 4 x 8, raised 2ft above ground with an predator proofroofed run that is 8 x 10 ft. they get locked into the coop/run at night, but they free-range an 800 ft fenced (and not predator proof) area during the day. After the chicks hatch, they’ll be kind of stuck up in the coop- the pop door is about 6” up off the coop floor, with an 18” wide ramp down to the run (but the ramp ends on the top of a 5 gallon bucket, doesn’t go down right to the ground) so I’m worried about death by falling once they actually try.
I’m wondering if it might be best to move mama & babies down to the main (roofed) run after a couple of days? There I could ensure they had chick starter and just keep the regular feed outdoors, they’d have more room to run. I could kick the other hens out into the fenced yard during the day, and I could make a sheltered place for them to escape the other hens from dusk until I let the ladies outside in the morning, and a nice box protected from wind as well.

I’d love any insight or shared experiences or warnings. Thank you!

 

[momma chickie]

I let my hens brood in place...yes mark the eggs, everyone loves a party in the hen house!
On hatch day I blocked access to my broody so the other party hens would not disturb the hatching. After all eggs hatched I moved them all to their own pen. I have real nice hens but some act strange with chicks. Also broody hen can become aggressive protecting her babies and my hens have got in full on fights...so just best to seperate. I used a big wired pen with a large dog crate for her nest at night...and I would close her in the crate at night so the chicks stay in with her for their protection until I let them all put in the early morning..
I do let a hen or 2 in when I am in the "nursery", just to keep everyone social and this has worked out well for my little flick of 7.

 

[centrarchid]

For short term consider placing a box on its side for hen to retreat to with brood. Place that near ramp. Collect hen and brood in box each evening and place them into coop leaving. My hens like little protected spots to settle with broods for the night. I have been using overturned milkcrates and dog crates for broodies with chicks to use as roosting sites.

Later start working on getting chicks to use ramp. My chicks have to use a much steeper and longer ramp than you have. They could not use effectively until over a week old.

 

[andreamunroe]

oh my goodness that video is the cutest thing ever- and makes me think we’ll be fine, thank you! I’ll just put a ramp extension from the bucket to the floor so they can climb rather than jump up to get on the ramp while they’re little.

 

[momma chickie]

I would still be cautious with the hens...I have seen the sweetest hen turn mean against babies or in defense of her babies start attacking other hens...you just never know...that is why I have a "nursery" pen, they can see each other and when I am out I do allow "visitors"...even then, I have had some pretty bad chicken fights start in the pen that I have had to intervene and scoot someone out the door.

 

[centrarchid]

oh my goodness that video is the cutest thing ever- and makes me think we’ll be fine, thank you! I’ll just put a ramp extension from the bucket to the floor so they can climb rather than jump up to get on the ramp while they’re little.

Be checking on the chicks the first few evenings to intervene as needed. Things bad quick for chicks that do not follow mom up the ramp.