I’d found two stray day-old chicks (insane, I know) and my broody hen adopted them. It’s worked out perfectly. After just a couple of days of separation and bonding, mama and the two chicks integrated seamlessly with my 8 other hens. They’d free-range during the day, and then mama and babies would nestle back into the nesting box at night while the other girls roosted.
The chicks are probably nearing 4 weeks old now (I’ve had them for 3.5 weeks). And tonight, for the first time, when I went to lock up the coop, I noticed only one of the baby chicks was alone in the nesting box. My broody mama and the other chick were roosting with the rest of the girls!
I took the lonely chick and put her up on the roost with the others, figuring that would help keep her warm or the night. But I’m wondering if mama hen is all done being broody.
The chicks are not all feathered in yet - heads are still fuzzy with pin feathers. But they’ve spent their whole lives growing up outside, not inside under a heat lamp. And the temps here are finally mild spring/summer temps - for example, today was a high of 80 degrees F and tonight it will be a low of 51 degrees.
Should I get them some supplemental heat tonight in the coop (I have a BrinSea heating panel) and stick them under there, or should I see how they do on the roost?
The chicks are probably nearing 4 weeks old now (I’ve had them for 3.5 weeks). And tonight, for the first time, when I went to lock up the coop, I noticed only one of the baby chicks was alone in the nesting box. My broody mama and the other chick were roosting with the rest of the girls!
I took the lonely chick and put her up on the roost with the others, figuring that would help keep her warm or the night. But I’m wondering if mama hen is all done being broody.
The chicks are not all feathered in yet - heads are still fuzzy with pin feathers. But they’ve spent their whole lives growing up outside, not inside under a heat lamp. And the temps here are finally mild spring/summer temps - for example, today was a high of 80 degrees F and tonight it will be a low of 51 degrees.
Should I get them some supplemental heat tonight in the coop (I have a BrinSea heating panel) and stick them under there, or should I see how they do on the roost?
