Taking Chicks From a Broody

[RollTideChicken]

My question is basically in the title...
I'm not really setup for hens raising their own. I have a hen sitting eggs and they'll hatch in a couple of weeks (probably).
Would taking the chicks away from her have a negative effect?
My coop and run are at maximum chicken load and there is little free range time right now. I don't see how the chicks will be safe with her.
I am looking into building a broody pen to allow her to raise them but I may be too late finishing that...since I literally just had the idea this morning.
Thanks!

 

[WVduckchick]

A very small area is all that is needed for her early on. Even a dog crate will work. I like to let hens introduce babies to the flock very early (like a week old) so she protects them, and they stick with her. Then the rest of the flock knows to leave them alone.

As long as they have a few escape places, a box to hide behind/under, a log, etc, they "should" be fine.

but if you are at capacity and don't want her to have chicks, breaking her broodiness may be a better option. I took babies from a hen once, and within 2 weeks, she was trying to sit again. Plus it broke my heart to take them from her.

 

[Ridgerunner]

There are no longterm negative effects of taking them away and brooding them yourself. The hen will look for them for maybe a couple of days but will soon break from being broody. The chicks will be like other brooder raised chicks. I like a broody to raise them as she will integrate them for you but if you decide it's best to take them away, they will still be chickens.

With your tight crowded space the biggest danger to the chicks is probably not when they are with the hen (though being crowded makes it harder on Mama) but will come when she weans them and leaves then all alone to make their way with the flock. I've had hens do that as young as three weeks, I've had hens do that at three months. I have lots of room and that has never been a problem, but with tight space they may not have enough room to avoid the other adults.

If you do not have enough space for a hen to raise the chicks with the flock, you probably don't have enough room to integrate them later.

 

[RollTideChicken]

I have more than 1 pen. And I'm building a bigger coop and run shortly. I have room for more chickens just not in that coop. That and I've got a cousin bugging me about giving him some birds and then she went broody so I was like...hmm why not.

 

[RollTideChicken]

I was about to build a tractor 8'Lx3'Wx3'H but something popped up and I wasn't able to start it. If I were to move her into something like that what might be her reaction? Would she abandon the eggs? Would the rest of her flock forget her?
Can ya tell this is my first time letting a broody hatch her own?

 

[Antcohan]

There is a chance she would leave the nest so its best to move them at night when they cant see well. I have only moved two broodys so far both stayed on the eggs. One hatches 5 about 2 weeks agos. The other is due the 3rd! Good luck

 

[WVduckchick]

I also like to wait to move them after they have settled in for at least a week, then they are less likely to quit too. And take as much of her existing bedding material as you can to the new location.