Canine and Co
Songster
- Jan 28, 2019
- 97
- 77
- 101
Hi all,
I have a hen with her 7 week old chick. The chick is virtually fully feathered and they have been in a separate housing for the last few weeks. My set up is that they have their own house and run within the existing hen area. This means for everyday of the chicks life she has been in full view of the other hens. She is now 7 weeks old, so I extended their area to allow them more freedom. However the Mum keeps flying over to be with the others and wants to sleep in the main hen house at night. The first time she did this, her chick was crying as she didn't know where she was (the chick had also jumped over), so I popped them both back in their little house. The next night - I found them both in the main hen house at bedtime and again the following night. So last night I left them there and made sure I was in there before the automatic door opened in the morning.
The chick seems happy enough roaming with the other hens (of which half are going through the annual moult), however I am sure with her mother around that they would all settle down ok, but will my cockerel or could he attack the little one?
Any advice would be welcome. I have attached pics of the hen and chick.
Thank you.
I have a hen with her 7 week old chick. The chick is virtually fully feathered and they have been in a separate housing for the last few weeks. My set up is that they have their own house and run within the existing hen area. This means for everyday of the chicks life she has been in full view of the other hens. She is now 7 weeks old, so I extended their area to allow them more freedom. However the Mum keeps flying over to be with the others and wants to sleep in the main hen house at night. The first time she did this, her chick was crying as she didn't know where she was (the chick had also jumped over), so I popped them both back in their little house. The next night - I found them both in the main hen house at bedtime and again the following night. So last night I left them there and made sure I was in there before the automatic door opened in the morning.
The chick seems happy enough roaming with the other hens (of which half are going through the annual moult), however I am sure with her mother around that they would all settle down ok, but will my cockerel or could he attack the little one?
Any advice would be welcome. I have attached pics of the hen and chick.
Thank you.