First hatch question!! Please help 💕

[loulusea]

Hi! First time chicken mama...

I have a broody hen that has been sitting on some fertilized eggs, and when we went outside just now to close up the coop, we saw our first little chick trying to get out of the egg.

When should we move her and the chicks to the in-coop brooder box? She's currently in a nesting box. I'm just nervous about other hens jumping in there and accidentally squishing a baby chick.

Should I wait until all eggs hatch? Also, we made her a special "nesting box" bc she would only sit on the eggs if up high, so we definitely have to move her and the chicks so the chicks can eat and drink at some point and to prevent them from falling down a chick cliff... See photo for context..

So I know I need to move them so 1) chicks don't fall out, 2) so other hens don't accidentally trample them. But when do I move them?

I have space to keep them in the coop but separated from the other hens for safety. Am I over thinking this? Any shared thoughts or experiences would be greatly appreciated

Cheers to our first hatch!!!

 

[Debbie292d]

Congrats on the hatch!!

Depending on how many eggs there are, they could take as many days to hatch until the last one, so it's best to move her down to floor level or make a ramp for the chicks to get down to food/water. They can actually jump that distance and will, but they shouldn't be very hungry or thirsty for a day or two.

I've found it's easier to keep momma sitting on the rest of the eggs if she's on the floor level. I put the chick crumbles and a waterer with marbles in it (so they don't drown) right out front of her so she can see her chicks eating/drinking and they can run back under her if cold or scared.

 

[Yardmom]

In my experience it is best not to move her until all eggs are hatched . Broody hens are often more attached to the spot than to the eggs . I recently had a case where the chicks were coming out of the nest, but the mothers (two brooding together) were not. I actually had to put them in a pen together before they focused on the chicks instead of the nesting spot. That was an unusual circumstance.
Normally chicks stay in the nest for 2 or 3 days then mom leads them off. Other times when I moved a brood the moms stayed with the chicks.

 

[loulusea]

In my experience it is best not to move her until all eggs are hatched . Broody hens are often more attached to the spot than to the eggs . I recently had a case where the chicks were coming out of the nest, but the mothers (two brooding together) were not. I actually had to put them in a pen together before they focused on the chicks instead of the nesting spot. That was an unusual circumstance.
Normally chicks stay in the nest for 2 or 3 days then mom leads them off. Other times when I moved a brood the moms stayed with the chicks.