separating mom from her chicks

[goodb]

goodb, we have the mother and chicks in a secured fenced and covered area because of owls and hawks. the rest of the flock is across our property in a large fenced in free range area. so, if i take her out, she will just stay outside of the secured location near her chicks. i doubt she would want to venture across the yard to go away from them. when she is moved, she will be carried and put in the other fenced in area.

Ah, that explains volumes. I was under the impression they were near the flock...I have mine just outside their fence in an extension. After 1 week, I open the gate to let her go in and out as she desires.

 

[RoosterDon]

I let her out yesterday with her thinking she was getting some treats. We took the treats to the main coop, and she would not leave the gate waiting to get back to her chicks.

My wife thinks it is too early to move the others out to be with them for temperature reasons. So, we will wait awhile.

In the meantime, while we vowed to stop incubating and hatching more eggs before Elmeretta took us on this fun 17 egg trip, I learned two days ago that our sex link, that is the friendliest and most dependable layer of them all, a true machine, has gone broody for the first time. She is sitting on 5 eggs. She thinks she is a dog and loves coming in the house with us.

So, mother nature is letting us know that we are in for some more fun over the next 30 days. And it truly is fun despite the temporary heart aches and set backs.

 

[Cluckywucky]

Hello I have a slightly different problem. Our hen has hatched 4 eggs and we have 4 lovely chicks that are now nearly 5 weeks old. When the weather got better we let them out with their mum into the rest of the flock during the day and back into their own run and hutch at night. Last night Gonzo the mum decided to go back in with the other chickens into her original coup with the gang and left her chicks to go to their own hut. I am now worried that this has happened too early. Can anyone let me know if they will be ok now and we should try and put them in the coup with their mum and other 2 hens, cockerel and mum? We have the ability just to leave them where they are. They did seem to be ok when out and about and are roaming all over our garden and seem quite independent. cheers

 

[forgetful]

Hey Clucky. Your chicks should be fine now on their own. They're old enough to be without their mother

 

[Cluckywucky]

Thanks for that Overrun, but now unfortunately one has a lame leg, dragging on the ground but hopping around and seems not in pain. Any advice would be apreciated but we are off to the vet today, hate the fact that she could be in pain.