should I move the nest????

[elena de Gaia]

Hi, I'm new to the forum this is my first Spring with chickens. I have 2 hens sitting on eggs in the egg-laying boxes of the coop...3 feet off the ground. It is day18-20 and I am realizing that I should have moved them to their own nesting area weeks ago. What to do?
1. should I move them now or is it too late?
2. The two hens appear to be friends- should I move them together with their nests or keep them seperate?
3. If I dont move them will the chicks fall out the nest box? will the rooster and other chickens harm them?
Thanks for trying to help me out of this novice predicament.

 

[panner123]

Wait until all the chicks have hatched before you move than now. Once they have hatched and they start following mama, they will jump out of the nest. The fall as a rule will not hurt them, a chick is fairly tough, only they will not be able to get back in the nest. Have a spot ready for them at ground level. This should be away from the other chickens for the first few days. Don't worry after that, mama hen will not let the other chickens hurt her chicks. If you attempt to move them now, they may not finish the hatch.

 

[elena de Gaia]

Thanks so much. Good advise.

 

[jersy87]

Hi.
I had my hen start sitting on my nest box that was 2ft off the ground. It is her first clutch and first time going broody. So i just put another board up so it made the sides higher so when they hatched they couldnt get out. IT worked. Chicks hatched today (well some of them). So i moved her, the chicks and the rest of the eggs into a dog crate inside the chicken house. All is well so far. Others can see her, but cant bother her and her chicks. She has food and water.. and her chicks to herself.

 

[elena de Gaia]

Thanks for the help. I blocked off part of the coop and set up a "nursery". as I was working I heard a chorus of peeps. I didn't disturb mama [Ebony] but there were at least 3. Tomorrow I will move them to the coop floor where I've set up feeding stations and water. I hope that the 2 broody hens get along in this situation[they seem to be friends.] If not i will move the second broody [Buffy St. Marie] to a n extra large dog crate.