3 day old chick, when do they leave mom?

[amynbrent]

I have a 3 day old chick. When will it leave mom or should I say when will mom leave it? I bought 2 day old chicks so I know they dont need the mom. I took the baby away and put it in a seperate brooder in my basement, chick was fine, mom was not. Next I put the baby in a tote in a cage in the coop, baby fine and mom freaked out. She paced back and forth in front of the cage and even jumped on my head just to see the baby. Now I have the tote still in a big cage with mom and baby together. The tote has to be in there because the baby can walk in and out of the spaces in the cage and the other chickens will kill it. It's hot in there (fine for baby) but too hot for mom, she needs to get outside and get fresh air. She just wont leave her baby!!! What do I do?

 

[HEChicken]

I guess I'm not clear on why you don't want Mom to have the baby? I guess I always feel like if they've done the work of brooding the eggs, they've earned the right to raise their chicks - unless they do something to indicate they are going to harm the chick. Mama hens bond with their chicks just like any other animal mother and it doesn't seem quite fair to just take it away. Mama hens usually raise their chicks up until they are quite a few weeks before they start letting them know its time for them to be on their own.

 

[Judy]

If the mama is mothering the chick, letting it get under her at all, then the chick should not have any added heat. The mama will keep it as warm as it needs to be with her body heat.

My mamas raise their chicks right in the coop with the rest of the flock. Mamas naturally protect their chicks from other hens that may (or may not) bother it, and roos are generally protective of chicks. Lots of people prefer to keep mama and chicks separate from the flock. Mama will stop mothering the chick around 4 to 6 weeeks, in general. The chicks will then need a separate place to finish growing up, about 4 months, before they will be safe on their own with the flock. If raised with the flock, they can stay with the flock after mama "kicks them out of the house."

http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/Broody-Hens-1.html

 

[amynbrent]

I dont necessairly want to take the mom away. I only had one egg hatch and that one was not planned. I had a home for the baby but we decided to keep it. The other chickens (20 weeks) are stalking the mom and baby. I'm new to raising chickens this spring. I dont want the baby killed. The mom prefers one nest box and it's on the top row. I keep picturing this baby falling out and the others attacking. I just dont want this little one to die is all. Ideally I want it to join the flock when it's old enough. If I can put her in a nest box with baby and let her be I will be more than happy to do that!

 

[Blue]

Quote:
Is there any way you could make them a small pen with a next box where you could just keep the mom and baby? I've heard of some people just putting mom and baby in a dog crate and setting the crate in the coop so that all the chickens can see each other, but the other hens can't hurt the chicks.

 

[JanaBanana1]

My broody hen hatched 2 chicks and we moved the mama and babies to their separate cage and small hen run...its next to the main flock so they see the mama and babies every day, but they can't get to them and kill them. They were born on the 26th of July. I will eventually add them to the main flock which is 4 other hens and 3 buff orpington hens I got as chicks in the beginning of June. I can't imagine taking her babies from her... would be like someone taking my own baby from me

Good luck!

 

[amynbrent]

What I did was take the tote out of the big cage and put it in a corner of the coop with food and water. Mommy is with her baby and mommy can come and go as she pleases. The other chickens get on top of the nest boxes to look but they dont bother them. Mommy gets out of the tote and walks around in the coop but always stays close. When the chick is big enough not to walk out the spaces in the cage I will move them both into it. This way baby can grow up in the coop with the rest so hopefully it will be easy when she is able to join the rest. Next spring I plan on having another coop just for babies and mommies....my husband has no idea yet