Baby chicks raised by chicken...

[gritsar]

I totally agree with Ridgerunner. Remember back in the day the chicks were hatched and raised with the flock. The strong ones that had a good mom survived and this lead to a healthier flock with lots of chicken sense.

 

[racuda]

Yes, Ridgerunner nailed it.

 

[Judy]

I should add that I did cage Mama while she was setting... sort of. She only got off the nest once a day, in the morning when I opened the coop, so I would open the cage and let her do her thing. She'd return in about 20 minutes and I closed it to keep the others from pestering her. I tried to let her out in the PM but the most I could get her to do was eat some fruit from my hand. I had food and water in the cage, of course, but doubt she ever touched either. And when the first chick hatched, I took everything out of the cage, removed the cage, and put everything back in the same spot. Mama got up after a day or so and got the chicks eating and drinking from what I'd set our for her.

Often I had to shoo another hen off her nest when she returned.

 

[Jambruins]

Thanks for all the replies, it sounds like most people think I should let them free range right away.

Should I keep the mom separate until the eggs hatch?

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
From what I've read it's best that you do, for one particular reason. If she's with the flock other hens can disturb her setting and might even chase her off; especially if she's not a top hen or near the top.
I have been praying to the broody gods for a broody hen for awhile now. My plan is to use a wire dog crate that we have in the coop, so mama can be seperate, yet still amongst the goings on in the coop.
Once the chicks hatch I would recommend following Ridgerunner's advice.

 

[angidee]

What about if your LF eggs are being hatched by bantams?
I have a bantam coop and a LF coop. They all run around together during the day, but they sleep in seperate coops. The broody bantams are in their own broody box in the bantam coop. During the day the LF come and go in and out of this coop. While I would love to just let the hens take care of the chicks, they are considerably smaller (bantam cochins) than the other chickens (orpingtons, RIRs, Americaunas) AND one of these gals has a bum leg so she gets around by hopping...I think this will probaby put her at a serious disadvantage.

Thoughts??

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
While the one girl with the bum leg may be at a disadvantage, as you say....

One of my SFs is right now raising chicks in my younger flocks coop - she's the second one to actually raise chicks in this coop - yeah! I finally got broodies (coming out my ears!). The SF is considerably smaller than my LF brahma girls, that come and go as they please between the two coops. Mama SF is a mean thing and anyone that dares get near her chicks, including my 13 lb. brahma rooster, promptly gets their butt stomped into the ground by Mama. In the case of broodies, turns out size doesn't matter.

You just have to observe for awhile to make sure mama knows what she's doing.