To separate my broody or not? A dilemma.

[Scottiemom]

I know there are different views regarding whether or not to separate a broody from the flock or not. This is my first broody (in the 6 years I have had chickens!) and I have come across a dilemma. I have my first broody! I have a Bielefelder roo, 6 Bielefelders hens and 2 Cochins hens (with the hope a Cochin would go broody. Yay!)

I am on day 6 of brooding. At first I thought some of the other hens were pushing the broody off her nest, so I started on a maternity ward coop and yard for her. Before I moved her, I noticed the other hens would just "fill in" while my brody takes her daily constitutional and then she takes back over when she's done. So, I thought about marking eggs and letting her stay put. I thought it would be best to keep the flock together since they are helping incubating duties.
But, my concern is that I have a large, elevated coop with 2 ramps to get to the nesting boxes. (One ramp to the roosting areas from outside, then another into the nesting box area.) I also have a large, enclosed run that I can easily fit a maternity coop and small yard in to keep the flock "together"

So, I was hoping to get some input as to which way I should go. Do I try to separate her into a ground level apartment or try to find a way to baby proof the main house?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

The other hens 'filling in' are taking the opportunity to lay an egg, not incubating.
If you don't mark the first eggs under the hen, you'll end up with a staggered hatch and that is a bad thing.
I've done it both ways. Separate housing and with the flock. I like the former just to keep other hens from volunteering eggs and to have an undisturbed area for the first few days after they hatch. The hen will protect her chicks from the others so that isn't a concern. I usually move the family back with the flock after the chicks are about a week old and more mobile.
The elevated coop is a concern to me.
Last year I had a broody hatch chicks in the coop with the flock but after she took them out to forage, she couldn't entice them to climb the ramp into the coop so she slept under the coop with them and a raccoon killed hen and all.

 

[Alaskan]

In my bantam coop I often have a broody in my elevated (no ramp) nestboxes.

When we decide to let them brood we mark the eggs we want to incubate, remove all unmarked eggs on a daily basis.

When the chicks hatch we check, make sure that all marked eggs hatched, candle any unhatched to see if they are good or bad...deal with those...

Then put the mom and chicks on the floor of the coop next to a nest that we make on the floor for her, and next to a little chick feeder and waterer.

We also put a crazy number of rocks into the water pan, so there is no risk of drowning if the chick goes into the run (where the adult chicken water pan is)

In years past we had a nasty hen that would try to kill chicks... and then mom and chicks were moved into a tractor for safety....

But now all chickens (including 2 roosters) are chick friendly.

 

[Alaskan]

Two broody bantams in a nest box

 

[Scottiemom]

Well, she now has her own broody coop and yard in the chicken run. She definitely was not too happy about the move itself, but she did settle right back onto the new nest, so u am hopeful.
I guess the other girls were much more "helpful" than I though! 13 eggs under her and I collect every day, so they were DEFINITELY slipping more in for her!
Hopefully, putting a "mini run and coop" inside the main run will help integrate everyone better.i will update as we move forward.

Thank You!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

It is good that she's settled in but what are you going to do with the later eggs when the first ones hatch? Do you have an incubator to use when she abandons the nest to care for the live chicks?

 

[Scottiemom]

I do have an incubator and I have been studying the day by day development and candling to help the newer eggs. And I have raised many day old chicks, just in case. I am hoping for a good broody outcome, but I am also trying to be prepared for less than ideal situations.

Thank you!

 

[Alaskan]

My bantam broodies wil not leave the nest to feed hatched chicks... until all eggs are gone...

So yes, nice you have an incubator

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I do have an incubator and I have been studying the day by day development and candling to help the newer eggs. And I have raised many day old chicks, just in case. I am hoping for a good broody outcome, but I am also trying to be prepared for less than ideal situations.

Thank you!

Since you are candling, I would remove any late bloomers as hatch date approaches to put them in the incubator. Then she doesn't have to split her time. You can add the chicks to the others as they hatch.
I would refrain from candling too often.