Should my new baby chicks stay with there mother or go in a box with a heat lamp?

[Noelygfan]

I meant to add too, our two broodies have been broody for 4-5 weeks. Nothing is working. They suggested putting them in a box alone for 2 days with no food and water. That just seems harsh to me.

 

[song of joy]

I've always had success breaking a broody as follows: Isolate the broody in a cage, sectioned-off area of the coop or run, or other area away from her nest. Make sure it's secure enough that predators cannot get to her, as she'll be in there for 2 or 3 days and nights. Make sure she cannot see the nest and eggs she had been setting on. Provide her with food and water, and day/night cycles (using artificial lighting if necessary). Do not provide any type of bedding or nesting material whatsoever. An exception would be a very thin layer of bedding to absorb her droppings, if necessary. It's helpful but not necessary to have a perch for her in the isolation cage or area. Keep her in the isolation area for 2 days and 2 nights (48 hours). Release her with the rest of the flock. If she insists on going back to her nest and continues to show signs of broodiness, immediately put her back in the isolation area for another 24 hours.

For an extremely persistent broody, a cage will work better than a section of the coop or run, as the cage provides no comfortable floor that could be mistaken for a nest.

 

[FarmerTuck]

It is your choice. We all have different goals and different set-ups. There is not always one answer that is right for all of us. And you are dealing with living animals. No one can tell you for sure what will happen with your specific chickens in your specific conditions.

Chickens have been hatching eggs and raising chicks with the flock for thousands of years. Sometimes there are problems, but they are not extinct yet. Many of us on this forum have hens hatch and raise them with the flock. I do every time I get a broody.

A broody hen will usually protect her chicks. I have never had any kind of problem with a dominant rooster hurting the chicks. On the contrary, several of my dominant roosters have helped the hen take care of the chicks, but some just ignore them. Occasionally another hen or a non-dominate rooster will threaten a chick. Most of the time Mama has such a bad attitude about that the other chicken quickly learns that threatening a chick is not a healthy thing to do. I've had very few adult chickens actually go out of their way to try to harm the chicks and my broodies have always vigorously objected when they do, but others on this forum have had disasters. They are living animals. You can't know what will happen.

To me, one advantage to the hen raising the chicks is that Mama takes care of basic integration. When she weans those chicks, the rest of the flock accdepts them as flock members. It helps Mama do her job if she has enough room to work with. If space is tight, she will be more likely to have problems. But if space is tight and you decide to raise them yourself, you are very likely to have integration problems when they grow big enough for you to try to integrate them later. To me, either letting a broody raise them with the flock or integrating chickens goes much better if you have some extra space.

Just because a broody takes care of basic integration does not mean the chicks are home free. When she weans them, they are still at the bottom of the pecking order. The other hens may vigorously enforce their pecking order rights until the chicks mature enough to establish their position in the flock. If the younger chicks have enough room to get away from the other adult hens, it is not a big deal. But if space is tight, it can be a serious problem. I really do think space is a really important consideration for which way you go.

Something I've seen happen many times. I've seen two week old chicks leave Mama's protection and stand next to the other hens at the feeder. Sometimes the other hens ignore the chick, at least for a bit, but usually one will give the chick a peck to remind it that it is against proper chicken etiquette for a chicken that low in the pecking order to eat with its betters. That chick runs peeping and flapping back to Mama as fast as it can get there. Mama usually ignores this. I guess it takes a flock to teach proper flock etiquette. But if that hen tries to follow the chick to do it harm, Mama vigorously objects.

What is the right choice for you? I don't know. If you allow Mama to raise the chicks, either with the flock or in their own separate space, she will provide all the heat they need and will teach them to be chickens, but the chicks will not be as friendly as they would be if you raise them yourself and handle them every day.

Good luck, whichever way yoou choose.

do I need to give my brooding hen hatched chicks water right away? They are still on the nest with mom. The nest is a large pot that they may have trouble getting out of. Should I move them? Give them water in the large pot?