chicks hatched under broody mom

[BroodyBettysMom]

Today is day 21 of natural incubation. 8/10 eggs hatched on day 18. Not sure if the wing thing is right on sexing. If so, half are cockerels, which I plan on having processed once old enough. Anywho, I have a couple questions! When can I allow the chicks with the rest of the flock (they are in a fence in the coop and seen by the elders)? The other... Should I keep the roos separate as they will be dinner? (That sounds shameful!) Thanks in advance!

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome! I keep my broody hens and their chicks separate but in view for a few days to a week, so the little ones get stronger. Then when the flock goes outside in the morning, the hen and babies get to go out too. I just open the door to their area, and let mom do what she wants. Make sure that Flock Raiser or chick starter and water are available for them at all times. If your birds are bred to be feather sexed, it works pretty well. Otherwise, it's totally random! Don't count your cockrels before they show you who they really are! Mary

 

[chickengeorgeto]

When young chick are allowed to mingle with the flock under the supervision of their mother there are almost no problems integrating these chicks into the flock. If they are thrown into the flock after their mother disowned them then the peeps must fight to find their niche in chicken society.

 

[BroodyBettysMom]

Welcome!  I keep my broody hens and their chicks separate but in view for a few days to a week, so the little ones get stronger.  Then when the flock goes outside in the morning, the hen and babies get to go out too.  I just open the door to their area, and let mom do what she wants.  Make sure that Flock Raiser or chick starter and water are available for them at all times.  If your birds are bred to be feather sexed, it works pretty well.  Otherwise, it's totally random!  Don't count your cockrels before they show you who they really are!  Mary

I know all 3 hens that produced the eggs are b.os. My roo is a mutt chicken, I believe. Mostly black with white splotches. The babies are black with brown faces and two are black with yellow streaks all over them. I know it probably doesn't say much.

 

[Folly's place]

There's no way you can sex them this early. I don't think sex-linked color will help, because daddy is a mutt. Maybe I'm wrong about that? Just enjoy the babies as they grow, and worry about sexing them later. Mary

 

[BroodyBettysMom]

Shaq, my roo.

 

[donrae]

I agree you can't sex your chicks this early, but you'll know around 6 weeks or so.

I'm with the above, don't wait more than a week or so to introduce the hen and chicks back into the flock. Baby chicks are much more resilient than we give them credit for, and broody mommas are so hormonal no one wants to mess with them. Get them into the flock while momma still has those protective hormones flowing. I've never had a rooster attack chicks....in fact, I just had 4 chicks squeeze under the fence between pens and wind up in a breeding pen with my big rooster Eric. I swear, he just looked at them, sighed, and showed them were the food was.....

 

[BroodyBettysMom]

I agree you can't sex your chicks this early, but you'll know around 6 weeks or so.

I'm with the above, don't wait more than a week or so to introduce the hen and chicks back into the flock. Baby chicks are much more resilient than we give them credit for, and broody mommas are so hormonal no one wants to mess with them. Get them into the flock while momma still has those protective hormones flowing. I've never had a rooster attack chicks....in fact, I just had 4 chicks squeeze under the fence between pens and wind up in a breeding pen with my big rooster Eric. I swear, he just looked at them, sighed, and showed them were the food was.....

The little ones squeezed through today and I noticed Shaq, my roo, standing guard! Every time one would try to run off he'd fuss like a momma hen!

 

[BroodyBettysMom]

So, I opened the broody pen's gate! Momma and babies loved it! Momma did a great job protecting them too!

 

[donrae]

Wonderful!

I have a broody momma with new chicks literally terrorizing her coop-mates, a Faverolles pair and a bantam cochin hen. she even looks at them and they're tripping over themselves to get out of her way