2 week old chicks

[Pauline]

Hi, i have 3 hens who have 2 weeks ago had chicks, all in all i have 13 babies, can i take the babies away from the mothers now, the hens are in seperate pens and its a bit of a pain for letting them out to toilet, if i let the 3 out together they fight, so i have to stand around and let them out individualy, at the same time try and not let the chicks out while the mother gets in and out.

I wanted to take all the chicks away and put them in one pen that way the hens are free again, i have a pen in the garden, if i put food water and lots of straw, will the chicks be ok in there, maybe all of them together will keep eachother warm, the weather is very warm at the minute and i have a blind on the pen i can pull down at night to stop any drafts.
any advice greatly apreciated please.

Thank you
Pauline

Or, can i put all the chicks in 1 pen with 1 hen, with 1 hen accept other hens babies ???

 

[faykokoWV]

I don't know the answer but hopefully some one on here does.

Is the pen that's in the garden escape proof for the little ones?

 

[Ridgerunner]

They are living animals so I cannot guarantee you how they will react. It is very possible that one hen will accept all 13 chicks, but it is also possible that she will consider the new chicks as intruders and a threat to her chicks.

Personally, I would try giving all the chicks to one hen, knowing that there are risks involved. You should observe and be ready to take them away from her if she starts to harm them. What makes it really difficult is that a good mother will discipline her chick by pecking it, as if she is telling it "stay by me and don't wander off" or "get under me and get warm". Sometimes it is hard to tell if she is being a stern mama or if she is threatening the chick.

I don't know where you are in France. If my math is right, if your nighttime temperatures are around 30 degrees C, the two week old chicks should be OK without a heat source. That should be around 80 degrees fahrenheit. If it is cooler than that, they need a heat source.