Are new chicks better off with mom?

[mradam]

My father-in-law has chickens. He copied off of me with my birds and got his own hens this spring. His one hen went broody and started sitting on eggs. Today or yesterday one of them hatched.

He has 14 hens and 2 roos. They free range all day, then go into a 8x20 shed he turned into a coop. The coop doors, big doors, are kept open all night. He built shelves 3ft off the ground. That is where the new momma and chick are now.

The ledge is too high for new baby to get off of. Also, we don't know how the other chickens will do with new addition.
Tomorrow he plans on putting it in a brooder box that I said I'd set up for him.

SO, my question: Will one chick thrive by itself in a brooder box, or does she need to stay with mom. It's seems risky and a lot of work to get everything changed around and made safe in the coop, but won't the chick get lonely in a brooder by itself?

Which way is best? COOP or BROODER?

Thanks!

 

[newchickmom]

Might be a good idea to build a brooder area right in the coop so the other hens and chick can all see each other. And move mom and chick into it together. This is what I am doing right now. Mine just hatched 5 yeaterday. I am putting my large brooder under the roost area (the roosts have a poo shelf under them).

 

[swtangel321]

I think the chick would be better with mom, The hen will keep the baby safe from the rest of the flock !!!! chicks/chickens like to be with others and I would think that the chick would be very lonley by itself, now if you had hatched him it would be different, he would have no choice than to be alone. As long as he has a mama I would let it be.... She has done a good job so far, sat on him for 21 days to have him hatch, no reason to take away her prize, if problems do happen with the other chickens I would find a place for BABY & MOM, but like I said she will keep him safe and teach him what he need to know. Also much easyer in the long run !!! Just make sure the box where she is in now is close enough to the ground so mama and baby can get out, dont want the little one hurt !!!!

 

[Msbear]

It's ALWAYS better to be with mom. She knows what to do...have faith. And it will keep them out of your laundry room for the next 6 weeks

The brooder will be fine. My rosecombs nest almost 2 ft. up and the hen hung out there a day with the babies then the next day they were down and stayed down another week till the babies figured out how to jump back and fourth and get up there.

If one is left behind, it will PEEP really loud. No mom on this planet would ignore the cry of their baby.

 

[mradam]

I thought the same thing. They should be kept with mom. BUT, and this is a big one, you all don't know my father-in-law. I may not be able to convince him to keep baby with mom. Once he has an idea in his head, your opinions don't even get heard...

I will tell him what all of you have said and maybe, just maybe, he'll change his mind. If not, I'll set up the best brooder box possible.

Thanks all for the advice!

 

[swtangel321]

Would be very sad and selfish if he takes it away !!!

 

[swtangel321]

Did he end up leaving the chick with mama ???

 

[mradam]

Nope, he still wanted to put them in the brooder. SO, I set up the best brooder box possible. I explained EXACTLY how to regulate the temp, feeding, water issues, using wood chips, and drafts and cold. I think that, aside from being with mom, they have an ideal home now.
Yep, he's hardheaded. But, he knows the risks now, and what to look out for. I also plan to go over there often to check on things.
Thanks for asking!

 

[mradam]

Oh, when I got to his house yesterday to build the box there wasn't one chick... there was two!

 

[austinhart123]

that sucks that he made the hen sit on eggs and then stole the chicks from her because he is stubborn.....its really pathetic