I am getting 25 barred rock chicks in on May 17th. I also have 1 hen setting and her eggs should start hatching around that time. If that is the case I am going to try and slip some of the chicks in with her. Here are the questions I have:

1. The nesting box the hen is in stands 18-20 inches from the floor, is this a problem will chicks fall to there deaths? If so how do I remedy?

2. The remaining chicks will be in a brooder. What kind of flooring is best, Newspaper, ceder cipps etc...

3. I have one heat lamp will this be enough for 25 chicks? I also have one 20in chick feeder and a water, will these be enough?

4. Have I forgotin any thing?

Thanks
Dave R MN

Congratulations!
How many chicks were you planning to put under your broody hen? A total of more than ten should be enough. Also, don't expect her to teach them to feed and drink; be sure to do this yourself when the chicks arrive. To answer your questions:
1. 18-20 inchese is not too high. Chicks bounce. If you would fell more secure, place a hay bale under the nest to act as a step. Will the brroding area be near here?
2. Newspaper stays wet - try a 1 inch layer of hay.
you're on your way!

This is a question I haven't seen yet! I have a 4-week-old Rhode Island Red and a 4-week-old mallard. They love each other! I have them loose during the day in their large (15 x 18 foot) pen, and at night I have been closing them up in a large ferret cage (only them of course). When will they be ready to use a hen house? At night, do they just go on in by themselves, or do I have to put them in at night and let them out in the morning? What if I go away for the weekend?

It sounds like you live somewhere warm as they're quite young to be without heat..normally they want to be fully feathered before you transfer them to a bit bigger house. I would say they're still at risk from getting wet and chilled in the day, so take care (the duck will want to swim but you'd be wise to NOT let it until it's feathered as it doesn't have oil protection from it's mum.)
The duck /hen combination will mean you'll have to work a bit harder to keep their living conditions good as ducks can be very mucky! (adorable but they're ducks!)So you'll have to change the litter in the pen a bit more often or keep it topped up with dry shavings and sooner or later the hen will want to roost on a perch)
If they're pets and you're likely to be home late or out all day or even away at the weekend then you'll need to make sure their pen is vermin/varmint proof and that you leave enough water and food. Ducks need to be able to immerse their heads hens don't. (Birds breathe through their nostrils Not their mouths and ducks because they dabble in mud etc are in danger of blocking theirs so need access to water to keep them clean and clear.)
We're out sometimes or back late so we have a small coop (4'x4') with an attached run(4'x6') that is well wired in (roof and floor too)the entrance from the coop to the run is left open. The water for the ducks is at the end of the run. I think you'd need a covered area in your run to leave a food hopper...well away from the water bowl.
The basic house with protected run is where our ducks (4!) are at night and if we're not around... when we're about we have a door from the run to the rest of the world! (well a bigger run that's just fenced would work well)We have to be very careful as Mink etc do well here.
Hope this makes sense...They sound great... see what the others say they have lots of experience and probably better ideas..this just works for us have fun Dulcie. (oh and keeping the water over some form of grid or layer of gravel would help drainage ..duck books have good ideas for this..we have just ducks in this run and it has to be topped up with shavings to keep it sweet we aim to make a bigger secure run but like everything else it takes a while to get round too)