Will Mama stay and babies be OK?

[vtgirls]

Our bantam is setting on 6 eggs, 21 days being New Years Day. She is in our coop, in one of the two nesting boxes, about 2 feet up. If they fall they will freeze (its COLD in vt)
Should I put a board in front of the box a day or two ahead so they dont fall out when they hatch?(I would bring mama hen food and water)
The other hens continue to lay in that same box - will they turn over the eggs and cause them to drown in the shell after day 18 or so?

I plan to move them after they hatch to a small tractor in the garage with a heat lamp at one end (and mama hen). However I am nervous to move her ahead of time in case she stopped setting....
We moved her with her first set of eggs after a few days (in the night) and when we did morning rounds she had slept off the nest and the eggs were frozen.

Please let me know what you think (i asked this under another a different hatching but am not getting much for responses)

 

[LarryPQ]

Is there a way you can box her in there? I had a similar problem, and I took a piece of hardware cloth just a little larger than the opening, and wedged it in there. My nesting boxes have a lip, so I was able to really jam the cloth in there.

 

[vtgirls]

I was going to try just that. I am hoping all the eggs hach the same day or so, then I can move her without worry - if she wont stay they'll have the heat lamp. Should I lock her in at day 18?

 

[LarryPQ]

Probably a good idea-give her some food and water, she'll be a happy camper.

 

[sourland]

Hardware cloth across the front of the nest, but don't put feed and water in the nest box. Remove her daily so that she can eat, drink, and DEFECATE outside of the box or she is likely to poop in the nest.