Baby chicks outside with the mama in the cold

[Melissa Rose]

Hey Henney Penny

I have two beautiful silkies named Henney and Penny

Henney is a partridge and Penney is a red

There is a New Years Day Hatching thread under the incubating and hatching forum and there are a few ladies and gents that are in colder climates that could help you with an answer too also it's a really fun thread and your chicks will arrive about the same time

Here is the link
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=590706

 

[gritsar]

Mama Hen knows what she's doing.

For the record, I don't remove broodies and their chicks from the coop at any time. Mama will teach the other chickens to leave her children alone. No intergration issues later, they are part of the flock from day one.

 

[henney penny]

Quote:
Thanks, I checked it,I got my name form the childrens book henney penny

 

[henney penny]

The reason I was going to move them into the dog crate when all have hatched is the drinking water,I have a gallon heated water dish and the babies could not reach it and I would be afraid of them falling in and drowing.If I put them in the crate then they can start with a chick waterer,then to the small heated dog bowl then to the gallon one when they a few weeks old,I can put a block for them to get on to drink.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Your mileage may vary of course, but...
In the past when I have had a broody hen raising chicks in the coop I was always concerned about the chicks needing water so I would put a chick sized waterer in the crate that holds their nest. I use large dog crates as my broody nests and keep them locked in for a few days before and after hatch. When the chicks hatch and are ready for water I would add the chick waterers because the waterers I have for adults are all up on cinder blocks. Imagine my surprise when I witnessed chicks no more than a week old jumping up on the cinder blocks to get a drink of water from the adult waterers. Mama uses the big girls waterer so the babies want to too. The waterers I use have a basin (trough) maybe two inches wide and I did worry about them falling in, but no one ever has.

Same goes for me worrying about the chicks getting in and out of the coop. I put a ramp at the door because my larger coop is about 18"off the ground. Didn't do me any good; mama ignores the ramp and jumps in and out of the coop so her babies copy her.

We don't get anywhere near as cold as y'all do, but I've had chicks hatched in the coop in February (our coldest month) and mama had them out and about around 3 to 4 days old.

All those chicks (5 sets) have grown up to be big ol' healthy adults.

 

[Beekissed]

I agree...no heat lamp, Mom will keep them warm.

 

[ozark_chickies]

Quote:
Your mileage may vary of course, but...
In the past when I have had a broody hen raising chicks in the coop I was always concerned about the chicks needing water so I would put a chick sized waterer in the crate that holds their nest. I use large dog crates as my broody nests and keep them locked in for a few days before and after hatch. When the chicks hatch and are ready for water I would add the chick waterers because the waterers I have for adults are all up on cinder blocks. Imagine my surprise when I witnessed chicks no more than a week old jumping up on the cinder blocks to get a drink of water from the adult waterers. Mama uses the big girls waterer so the babies want to too. The waterers I use have a basin (trough) maybe two inches wide and I did worry about them falling in, but no one ever has.

Same goes for me worrying about the chicks getting in and out of the coop. I put a ramp at the door because my larger coop is about 18"off the ground. Didn't do me any good; mama ignores the ramp and jumps in and out of the coop so her babies copy her.

We don't get anywhere near as cold as y'all do, but I've had chicks hatched in the coop in February (our coldest month) and mama had them out and about around 3 to 4 days old.

All those chicks (5 sets) have grown up to be big ol' healthy adults.

Thank you, Im going to show your post to DH...Maybe it will convince him that we don't need to put them all in the brooder under a heat lamp.

 

[Mom 2em All]

YAY!!! I am so happy to read all of these replies!!
I have two silkies sitting on eggs with about a week to go. Maybe less for one of them. They are always broody so I am not sure of the expected hatch date. I worried so much about them last night! It was so cold- and they havent even hatched yet. Right now it is only 25 degrees out there.
I dont have a heat-lamp, and these broodies are not inside my coop. They are in a make-shift lean to, one in and one under an unoccupied rabbit hutch. I have stacks of haybales around the outside of the lean-to to block the wind, and of course, its covered.

My chickens are so confused. Michigan winter- not the time to hatch babies, lol.

 

[RiddleMe]

I agree no heat lamp. I have a broody who hatched a lone chick this week, she kept him in the coop for the first 4 days then had him (I'm sure it will be a roo!) outside all day the last two days. Day temps have been in the low 40's, nights in the mid teens and so far, no temperature issues. When they are outside, if he starts complaining too much, she just hunkers down wherever and lets him run underneath for a quick warm up.

However, I did end up building them a seperate little area inside the main run today as I caught one of the other hens actually picking him up by one leg. Unfortunately, momma is one of my more docile hens (and not the most observant of mommas) and the troublemaker is one of my most forward/inquisitive/persistent girls, which might be why she did nothing to intervene. I'm hoping keeping them in the main run where they can still see the others chickens all day long will help some with reintegration, but they'll have to sleep in a dog house vs the coop for now. I really would have liked more than one chick to hatch, I can only imagine the issues he'll have being the lone chick when momma decides she's done, hope those little legs are fast!

 

[CoopedChik]

I wouldn't risk it. I had some babies die early fall (and it was a semi warm fall) becuase the moma went to sleep and one of them fell out of the nest and she didn't see it. Poor baby froze