Do You Take Newborn Chicks Away From A Broody Hen??

[Stephanie739]

You highlight my favorite reasoning behind using the broodies as much as possible. My flock is very mixed, and I really like keeping them together. I don't want to have to separate anymore than absolutely necessary and having mom integrate chicks into the flock is perfect for me.

you can do it either way....we have done both.
for the longest time we would take the chicks and put them in the brooder. This last time we let Pretty Girl keep the 3 chicks she hatched. We moved her and the chicks into the garage for about a week and but her and the babies in an open pet taxi with food and water. then moved them in the taxi to the coop, her and the babys are doing great.....they are in with all the other chickens of all different sizes and ages, and 2 roosters.....it's been like this for 2-3 weeks now and I am going to do it like this more often, there is no integrating teen chickens into the flock this way... and the babys free range with Pretty Girl all day, and sleep with the flock every night....it's the neatest thing to watch!!! Now we have 2 more ladys sitting on 15 eggs each, and 15 in the gopherbator.

 

[Adorkable]

I was so happy when I had a hen go broody for me last year so I gave her 10 eggs and she hatched out 8 babies. She was an excellent mom and although it was nice seeing a momma hen care for and protect her babies from the rest of the flock if it happens again I will let her hatch the eggs and brood them myself. The reason is that the chicks she brooded were definitely not as personable as any of the ones I've brooded the past 3-4 years. They flared up at me, hissed at me, and pecked at my fingers whenever I handled them lol. Great thing about letter her raise them is you don't have to mess with them at all. Just keep fresh food and water out for them. She should do all the work if she's a good broody.

As far as keeping the layer feed from the babies I used a hanging feeder for the layer feed so the chicks could not reach it. To keep the chick starter from the layers I used a milk crate with the small feeder under it so the layers could not get to the feed. I push the milk crate up against my house or the chicken run or coop so that my layers can't get to the feed from the back end of the crate. I also place something heavy on it so that they won't be able to move the crate around. Here is a pic that I took to show you what I mean. Sorry it isn't a great pic, but I took it this morning and was trying to not freeze my fingers off. Best of luck

 

[tick22]

We have done both ways. Let momma take care of them and take them away just after they are born. As you say, The momma raised ones are not friendly much. What we did last year was let momma raise them but handled them alot. Yes, Mom would attack us but that is her job. We would take them out for awhile then put them back. Mom would take them back inside and glare at us but got use to it after a week or so. Kind of like her break time.... Now, she expects us to take them for awhile with her 2nd and 3rd bunch. She sees us, take the kids to the door and backs off as we gather them up. Not sure if this will work with the others but we have had only 2 hens that go broodie about 3 times a year. The others just don't get broodie I GUESS... The chicks raised this way are just as friendly as the ones we hand raise. So that is how we do it now except when the missus has the "I want to raise them" look. I guess it beats having kids again at our ages. smiles....

It is something you can try.....

 

[suebgbr]

i have my silkie in a 2 tier coop and run.
she had 5 chicks hatched and they were fine for 1st few days.
then i went one morning and found 5dead chicks in the bottom run. they either fell out or made it down and didn't make it back up, got too cold overnight and died.
mummy is broody again and is sat on more eggs. should i
1. move mummy and eggs to a single layer rabbit run i have
2. take eggs away and put in incubator
3. wait until chicks hatch then move mummy and chicks to rabbit run
4. none of the above
also do i move daddy with them or does he stay away?

 

[suebgbr]

I know I have hijacked someone elses thread but I would still love to know what to do.......

Please?.........

 

[gg706]

I would probably move hen and eggs to the run. Roo does not need to go he does not contribute anything to the rearing of the chicks.

 

[gg706]

If she rejects them after you have moved them...put them in the bator

 

[suebgbr]

Thank you. I was worried that she would give up sitting on the eggs if I moved her, but now you have said it it is obvious that I could just put them in the incubator.
Will Daddy go nuts without her. He will be all alone in the coop.

 

[gg706]

Oh didn't know he would be alone...yes I would move him as well. My Mother's rooster was injured so she seperated him from the flock and put him in a small wire cage to heal. He struggled so much he ended up killing himself trying to get out to rejoin his flock.

 

[foothillsfiber]

from what I have read move them at night after they have settled down.