8 week old chick is being bad!

[Below frigid]

Today I witnessed one of our 8 week old chicks jump a adult hen. Is this normal. Hen did not know if she should punish him or thank him. Pretty sure that one is a boy! Lol

 

[Aji Dulce]

Today I witnessed one of our 8 week old chicks jump a adult hen. Is this normal. Hen did not know if she should punish him or thank him. Pretty sure that one is a boy! Lol

TOO funny!

 

[chickengeorgeto]

The hen and chicks should already have been introduced to the rest of the flock. While under her protection is the perfect time for the chicks to be introduced to the pecking order. As I have often said, the mama hen will do all the heavy fighting for her own chicks. This will result in much better success when integrating new chicks into an existing flock.

 

[Farmgal101]

is the hen raising the chicks?did she hatch the eggs?

 

[Below frigid]

is the hen raising the chicks?did she hatch the eggs?

No, I bought the eggs for a different hen that went Broody this winter. The Momma hen is still with the chicks? Should I take her from them? Maybe put her back in her old hen house? A lot of duelling going on between the chicks.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Chicks are supposed to duel. Dueling is required from all chicks, how other than with dueling can chicks find their proper place in the flock?

If the hen mother who hatched these chicks is OK with it then so should the chicks owner be OK with it.

 

[Below frigid]

Just seems that the Momma Hen would be ready to leave the chicks. They will be 8 weeks tomorrow. They have been out with the big birds during the day for a few weeks now. Momma has taken them into the woods the last two days ( with me close by ). Can I move Momma and chicks into the same big house with other birds? Or should Momma go into a different coop?

 

[Below frigid]

Thanks l will let them be.

 

[aart]

So move Momma and the chicks into the big hen house from the Brooder house ?

I would have done that at about 1-2 weeks.
Does mama and chicks have access to the main coop,
so she can choose to take them there?
By 8 weeks you should be able to tell gender of chicks,
might want to start making cockerel decisions now.

 

[lazy gardener]

If your coop/run has enough room (at least 4 s.f./bird in the coop), you could and should integrate Mama and babies into the big coop. No need to every separate Mama from her brood. Sparring between chicks is normal. However, if you find the cockerels harassing the pullets, you will need to separate the cockerels into their own grow out pen. And sooner or later, you will need to do this.