Poultry Talk Ontario (pto.ca)

Has anyone ever let a broody hen hatch eggs in a coop that is in the confines of a closed in yard where all the other hens and rooster are? Just wondering if there would be any success with that.

The other chickens will often kill the chicks, not worth the heartache in my opinion. Once the chicks are old enough and bigger to run away they usually are alright. It depends on the breed as well, silkies are more forgiving than most.

Thanks, Kenya; that's what I thought would happen.

DO you have a dog cage or something she could be in?

No. But we do have a couple of rabbit cages. And a couple of plastic milk crates that we have used as extra nesting boxes.
Husband was just wondering about letting some eggs get hatched naturally. We will most likely not let the hen do her thing.

Do it all the time here with my Bantys in barn .Lots a hiding places helps . Have a Dutch door that is 5 ft high always closed top 3 ft open so when they are able to fly out they do . Once in awhile loose to crows if very small . Luck

I have a banty raising a chick in the coop and I had 2 banties raising chicks at the same time before. They were with a large fowl flock. They have their own space but do introduce their chicks to the flock. A good broody will protect her babies and like Ross said give them lots of hiding places to scoot into.
If there's one thing I've learned in 5 years with chickens it's that most times they know how to be a chicken better than we do Doesn't mean I don't do everything I can to keep them safe and healthy but sometimes you just have to let them do their thing. I highly recommend letting a broody hatch. It's a beautiful thing to witness.

Yep out of site out of mind . Luck

I do it all the time, seems to work out.

If they are setting in a nest box, the other hens will often lay eggs in it too. So what I do is mark the eggs I want her to hatch with a felt pen, then check every day to see if there is an extra unmarked egg or two to take out of the nest.

Good luck with it, broodies are so much amusement and wonderful to watch them straighten out the rest of the flock, no matter where they are in the pecking order.

i have too, and amazingly after a few days some of the other hens started helping protect the chicks! lots of getaway spots are needed, and a place where mom can take chicks to get out of the way if needed. and a low chick feeder and waterer.
i just would keep an eye on the other birds and make sure no one is fighting or going after the chicks and if they do, a dog crate works really well-either for the aggressor if it's just one bird or for the mom and chicks.