Help - chicks hatching!

[jlw848]

Last time we tried to hatch chicks under a broody, we separated her from the flock, but none of the chicks survived.

This time we left her in the coop, marked 3 eggs and just let her be. I candled them once but didn't see anything, so I wasn't expecting any to hatch....but when I went out to help mama down for water today, 2 of them were chirping and had started pecking!

Unexpected wonderful surprise!!

Here are my questions:

They are in a nesting box in our coop, around 4 feet off the ground. How do I get food/water to them? How will they get down? I would really love to just let nature work (it seems to be working better for them this way!), so I'd love to keep them with the flock. Will they be ok or should I take them from her after they are hatched and dry??

Thanks, all!
Nervous mama

 

[Wonderwend]

My friend pust a tiny bowl of chick crumbs and water in the box with them. Do you have a seperate small cage you can put them all in untll the chicks are bigger?

 

[jlw848]

So once they are hatched I should move them to a cage? Mama too?

 

[nchls school]

Last time we tried to hatch chicks under a broody, we separated her from the flock, but none of the chicks survived.

This time we left her in the coop, marked 3 eggs and just let her be. I candled them once but didn't see anything, so I wasn't expecting any to hatch....but when I went out to help mama down for water today, 2 of them were chirping and had started pecking!

Unexpected wonderful surprise!!

Here are my questions:

They are in a nesting box in our coop, around 4 feet off the ground. How do I get food/water to them? How will they get down? I would really love to just let nature work (it seems to be working better for them this way!), so I'd love to keep them with the flock. Will they be ok or should I take them from her after they are hatched and dry?? 

Thanks, all!
Nervous mama

Here is what I would do-once the hatch is complete, I would take chicks and hen and put them somewhere they will not be overly disturbed (at least on the coop floor to avoid any possibility that the fall would hurt the chicks) and then let the hen do the rest. Is your coop crowded? Then I would separate the hen and chicks from the flock. If not crowded I would just let her be in the coop. Taking the chicks from the hen will ensure they are not hurt by other fowl, This is something you have to decide.

 

[jlw848]

We have a small flock, just 1 Rooster and 5 hens. The coop isn't crowded, and they're out freeranging every evening. They have a good sized run attached too. What are the pros and cons of separating them?

 

[nchls school]

Pros-no extra work for you-no heat lamp, etc. The chicks will learn from the mother. Cons-chicks are vulnerable to predation and the other dangers of being left with the hen. There is more of a chance that the chicks will be lost from one factor or another.

 

[jlw848]

What about just blocking mama and chicks off in the coop, and letting the flock stay in the run?

 

[jlw848]

A little update: somehow mama got the chicks down from the nest and is huddled protectively in the corner floor of the coop. They have food and water by them, and the rest of the hens seem to be leaving her alone. Nature at its finest I suppose!

 

[nchls school]

That's great. The chicks jump down and usually they are fine. Glad to hear that all is well.

 

[Wonderwend]