Azulette
Chirping
Hi there-
I’m hoping for some advice on chick integration.
I have 7 chicks, all the same age, some of differing breeds. Broody/mama hen is a Prairie Bluebell Egger. I used the night time approach for placing the chicks under her. The following early morning, this first-time broody hen rejected 3 of the 7 chicks (aggressively pecking 2 chipmunk ones and injuring another’s [black chicks] foot); she accepted 2 yellow ones and 2 black ones. No blood was observed but she was getting physical with those 3 (aggressively pecking [to convince them to go back under her?] and she picked up one by the top of the head and shook it) - those 3 have been removed and are now in a separate, indoor brooder.
The 4 chicks she has kept/accepted are in a “look-no-touch” area of the enclosed coop (outside) with her. I had planned to integrate that "Mother Hen group" into the rest of the run with the other adult chickens with a modification of these 2 methods at around 2 weeks old, making sure to have areas the babies can hide under (and the “safe” portion of the coop they can return too) if they feel threatened by the older girls:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/my-coop-brooder-and-integration.74591/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...rst-turkey-strut-to-weaning-the-chicks.76878/
My question is when/how best to integrate the brooder/rejected chicks into the flock (or into the chick sub-flock?)?
I was thinking of moving the brooder chicks outdoors (with the heater) into the “look-no-touch” area for 2 week or so when the mother hen starts to take her batch of chicks to the roosting area with the bigger girls at night. Or should I wait until the mother hen has weaned the 4 and introduce the other 3 then?
Advice and input are appreciated – thanks!
I’m hoping for some advice on chick integration.
I have 7 chicks, all the same age, some of differing breeds. Broody/mama hen is a Prairie Bluebell Egger. I used the night time approach for placing the chicks under her. The following early morning, this first-time broody hen rejected 3 of the 7 chicks (aggressively pecking 2 chipmunk ones and injuring another’s [black chicks] foot); she accepted 2 yellow ones and 2 black ones. No blood was observed but she was getting physical with those 3 (aggressively pecking [to convince them to go back under her?] and she picked up one by the top of the head and shook it) - those 3 have been removed and are now in a separate, indoor brooder.
The 4 chicks she has kept/accepted are in a “look-no-touch” area of the enclosed coop (outside) with her. I had planned to integrate that "Mother Hen group" into the rest of the run with the other adult chickens with a modification of these 2 methods at around 2 weeks old, making sure to have areas the babies can hide under (and the “safe” portion of the coop they can return too) if they feel threatened by the older girls:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/my-coop-brooder-and-integration.74591/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...rst-turkey-strut-to-weaning-the-chicks.76878/
My question is when/how best to integrate the brooder/rejected chicks into the flock (or into the chick sub-flock?)?
I was thinking of moving the brooder chicks outdoors (with the heater) into the “look-no-touch” area for 2 week or so when the mother hen starts to take her batch of chicks to the roosting area with the bigger girls at night. Or should I wait until the mother hen has weaned the 4 and introduce the other 3 then?
Advice and input are appreciated – thanks!