Babies with grown hens

Date sort Score sort
ferrisgal

ferrisgal

Hatching
Dec 1, 2015
1
0
7
Over the summer one of my hens hatched a couple of chicks anda rooster I think had killed it.right now I have a broody who is about 9 months and just started laying eggs. She has been sitting for 3 days now. Can I meet her in the coop with the other chickens or should I separate her? Are roosters normally aggressive with baby chicks? Thank you for your insight
 
Roosters can be aggressive, but so can other hens with chicks. If they are not trying to lay in her nest while she is setting, I would leave her in the coop. If they are trying to lay in her nest and bug her, I would move her. If you move her, do it at night.
 
I find letting them brood in a kennel or dog carrier inside the main coop makes things go more smoothly. She still has daily contact and interaction with the flock so she doesn't become a 'stranger' to them. Once the chicks hatch and are strong enough to get around well, I open up the kennel. A good momma will protect her chicks and keep the flock at a distance. Not all broodies make good mothers, though. Watch her and the chicks closely, if she isn't keeping them together or not protecting them well, you may need to step in and raise the chicks yourself.
My rooster is very good with chicks and watches over them better than some of their mothers.
 
junebuggena said:
I find letting them brood in a kennel or dog carrier inside the main coop makes things go more smoothly. She still has daily contact and interaction with the flock so she doesn't become a 'stranger' to them. Once the chicks hatch and are strong enough to get around well, I open up the kennel. A good momma will protect her chicks and keep the flock at a distance. Not all broodies make good mothers, though. Watch her and the chicks closely, if she isn't keeping them together or not protecting them well, you may need to step in and raise the chicks yourself.
My rooster is very good with chicks and watches over them better than some of their mothers. 
Click to expand...


This is exactly what I've done. In fact, I opened the brooding kennel at 2 weeks and everything has gone very smoothly.

The only down side to all of this is having other hen's try to eat the chick feed. So far what I've done, is bring treats for the other hen's so that they're distracted. Otherwise, when they're all roosting, I light up the brooding box and feed the chicks and mom late at night. This is a great way to ensure that they're getting food at least once during the day without being bullied.

My broody is a fantastic mom, and very protective of her young ones.
 
DarkhorseFarmer said:
This is exactly what I've done. In fact, I opened the brooding kennel at 2 weeks and everything has gone very smoothly.

The only down side to all of this is having other hen's try to eat the chick feed. So far what I've done, is bring treats for the other hen's so that they're distracted. Otherwise, when they're all roosting, I light up the brooding box and feed the chicks and mom late at night. This is a great way to ensure that they're getting food at least once during the day without being bullied.

My broody is a fantastic mom, and very protective of her young ones.
Click to expand...
I just switch everybody to medicated starter for the chicks' first few weeks, then I switch back to their usual flock raiser.
 

Similar threads

B
Co-parenting Quandary
Replies
3
Views
633
balak
B
C
    • Like
Do Mama hens kick out the boys earlier than girls?
2 3
Replies
20
Views
1K
No Coop No Problem
No Coop No Problem
CreativeChicken08
    • Wow
    • Like
The mama hen…is a rooster?
2 3
Replies
29
Views
4K
littlecoopnextdoor
L
J
Baby chicks
2
Replies
10
Views
1K
Tookie
Tookie
H
    • Like
Mother hen protecting chicks against one hen but not the other
Replies
8
Views
1K
Hellomylittleladies
H

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom