Abandoned chicks?

[tray777tulip]

Hi everyone

So over the last three weeks i've had chicks popping up all over the place. I kinda just let nature take its course and left the mothers to hatch and raise their own chicks. Unfortunately, only one of the hens chose to lay in the nesting boxes (i have now made the boxes more appealing) and the rest found hiding places on the property (its a HUGE property with loads of great hiding places for them).

So as i said, over the last three weeks mom's and chicks have been popping up all over the place...i now have 40 chicks in all and still 5 hens sitting. I've learned a lot and made some mistakes and lost 4 chicks...

My question is: One of the hens hatched out 12 chicks. I spotted them about 2 weeks ago and i think the chicks may have already been about a week or so old by then. So by now the chicks are about 3 or 4 weeks old...today the mother is no where to be found! Is it possible that she's abandoned them or should i prepare for the worst and assume she's been taken by a predator? Should i catch the chicks or leave them? They don't come into the coop yet at night...all my mommy hens stay out of the coop with their chicks at night....which leads me to another question...will the new chicks learn to come in at night with my first generation of chickens?

Thanks...
T

 

[chickens really]

They definitely won't come in on their own. If you want to keep them they will need to be trained that the Coop is home. Momma possibly weaned them or was taken by a predator.

 

[Rammy]

Id try to catch them. They wont make it on thier own for long. Predators will get most of them.

 

[tray777tulip]

I've managed to catch 10 of the 12 so far...still have a couple of hours of sunlight left...will try catch the other two before nightfall.

So...just to be sure...my first generation of chickens are trained to come in at night...won't the mothers teach their chicks to do the same??

 

[chickens really]

I've managed to catch 10 of the 12 so far...still have a couple of hours of sunlight left...will try catch the other two before nightfall.

So...just to be sure...my first generation of chickens are trained to come in at night...won't the mothers teach their chicks to do the same??

Depends if she feels confident to bring them home.

 

[nchls school]

You don't say what breed your chickens are. My serama commonly wean their chicks at three weeks. Shortly they are brooding again. I have a phoenix hen that has just weaned her chicks. They also are about three weeks or so. The hen has a nest with several eggs so it is plain she started laying before weaning the chicks. The other members that have replied have already given great advice so I'll not repeat. Good luck with the chicks.

 

[Dr.GarryTTucker]

Yeah I’ve read of chicks been long weened around 2 -3 weeks. If they weren’t raised with coop being home they’ll need to be taught. Keep them there for 3-4 days should work. If not they are more than likely to return to the area mom riased them.

 

[tray777tulip]

You don't say what breed your chickens are. My serama commonly wean their chicks at three weeks. Shortly they are brooding again. I have a phoenix hen that has just weaned her chicks. They also are about three weeks or so. The hen has a nest with several eggs so it is plain she started laying before weaning the chicks. The other members that have replied have already given great advice so I'll not repeat. Good luck with the chicks.

I have Boschvelders. I've managed to catch 11 of the 12 now. Still a little sunlight left...hopefully i'll be able to get the last one before dark. Thanks for all the advice.

 

[Dr.GarryTTucker]

Yep!!

 

[aart]

That's Crazy!! Hope you get them all!

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