A Little Advise Please!

[msprey2g4e]

I have two bantam hens that went broody two weeks apart. I divided the eggs since they were both sitting on them at the same time. The first batch just started hatching and I have four chicks so far. I moved all the chicks under the hen that started brooding first. obviously she is now starting to leave the eggs that are left to move the chicks around and has to be coaxed back to the nest.

The pen they are in has an adult rooster with the two hens and the nesting area is about four feet off the ground.

Questions:

1. Will the chicks be ok with the rooster?
2. I blocked off the door some so that the chicks wont fall. How soon before they could walk down the ramp? OR should they all be moved to a brooding pen?
3. If moved to a brooding pen, will both hens and chicks al be good in there together?
4. Once all chicks have hatched or not, when is the best time to acclimate to the rooster?
5. What the best way to do so?

A side note, I have three other bantams that hatched at the beginning of June by a full grown chicken and they have been in a small pen around the main flock ever since. Looks like to cockerels and a pullet.

6. Any suggestions on introducing them to the bantam rooster and hens/chicks?

 

[GunnyBun]

I have two bantam hens that went broody two weeks apart. I divided the eggs since they were both sitting on them at the same time. The first batch just started hatching and I have four chicks so far. I moved all the chicks under the hen that started brooding first. obviously she is now starting to leave the eggs that are left to move the chicks around and has to be coaxed back to the nest.

The pen they are in has an adult rooster with the two hens and the nesting area is about four feet off the ground.

Questions:

1. Will the chicks be ok with the rooster?
2. I blocked off the door some so that the chicks wont fall. How soon before they could walk down the ramp? OR should they all be moved to a brooding pen?
3. If moved to a brooding pen, will both hens and chicks al be good in there together?
4. Once all chicks have hatched or not, when is the best time to acclimate to the rooster?
5. What the best way to do so?

A side note, I have three other bantams that hatched at the beginning of June by a full grown chicken and they have been in a small pen around the main flock ever since. Looks like to cockerels and a pullet.

6. Any suggestions on introducing them to the bantam rooster and hens/chicks?

1. Our rooster is pretty much ok with everything to be honest he is scared of his shadow at times

2. When I let my broody sit, I immediately moved her to a wire dog cage we had for big dogs, and she did great there, not only was it good for her and the chicks, I didn't have to start the whole flock on chick starter. That is one of the main reasons people usually put their broodies in a separate area. That and to be honest some chickens are just plain mean.

3. I'm not entirely sure they would be ok together. When I let our hen mingle outside the coop through the wire with the other hens, she wouldn't even let the other chickens to get close to the wire, and if she wouldn't even let other hens that were not mamas themselves get close, I doubt she would have tolerated another hen in the cage with her babies. You could put all the babies in with one mama and see if she will take care of them all, and if she doesn't you can keep the mamas in two separate cages if you have that.

4. I haven't gotten to that stage with our rooster yet or the other chickens for that matter she is in a brooder box inside the chicken coop that has a wire area where all the the chickens can see each other but there is no possible way they can peck and bully them.

5. I have heard of people putting the mama and her babies in the coop in a wire cage, or putting up a wire divider in the coop and run so all the chickens can coexist but not interact to point that harm can be done.

6. I'd suggest any of the following ideas in answer #5 I've heard of people having really great results with that. And like I said my set up is a brooder with a wire section so all the chickens can see and hear each other but not be able to fight. We have had plenty succes with that brooder, of course your gonna have a little trouble but that can be expected because like I said earlier chickens can be pretty mean, but they are some fun pets and animals to have. We all love our chickens and take their mean side, and their good side whenever we get it. I'll try to post pics so you can get an idea of what I did.

She looks a little rumpled in that pic, I think she is molting. I'll try and post the pics of the wire cage I had her in when I get signal.

 

[GunnyBun]

This is the place I had her when she was sitting on the eggs, I moved her about a week after the chicks hatched.

Excuse the mess on top of the brooder, the chickens love using that instead of their nice roost