Baby Chicks with Free Range Flock

[Maeschak]

The only thing I do different when a hen has a batch of chicks in the coop is to put chick starter in all the food containers. Once the older ladies see a new food they will eat it leaving your peep feeder empty! So, unfortunately all my ladies end up with 20% chick starter for a few weeks when the chicks are young. (Just don't forget to put out oyster shell).

 

[wild chick]

@HenOnAJuneBug - More good advice! Thank you! I knew the littles would go through the lattice & maybe drive momma crazy, so I put the wire on it. I forgot how little they were when I got my mail order chicks a year ago, but now that you said that I'll put a buffer on the bottom. I built the whole coop myself with my best friend, not bad for two old ladies just making it up as we went... I've learned so much this past year, I'd do it a little different, but now I can only improvise!

 

[wild chick]

@Maeschak Thank you. Since the chickens free range, they don't eat a whole lot out of the feeder anyway, especially now that summer is here. I love the ideas coming in.

 

[wild chick]

3 so far!!! Not sure if the photo will come up -

 

[Pstock44]

I had a hatch of 8 chicks 6 weeks ago and separated them and mom from the main flock in an adjacent run with a small brooder coop. 4 weeks ago I had a hatch of 3 chicks with mom and another broody hen in the main coop. They both shared setting on the eggs and have shared raising them too. The 2nd broody has actually taken over the primary care since they hatched but the chicks will run to either of them.

The 3 chicks have roamed among the adults from day 2 when they first went down the ramp. It took them one time showing them how to get back into the coop. I've had no issues with them in the flock, the rooster watches over them and even shows them food too. If one of the other hens gets to close then one of the mamas goes to protect them.

The first hatch has been allowed to roam between the two runs through a fence for a couple weeks and staying in the main coop with their mama. Mama is pretty much done with them now. The chicks tend to stay in the brooder run all day but do go to the main coop at night. They get picked on much more than the other hatch of 3 and soon they'll be to big to go through the fence so they'll have to learn the pecking order.

I know its different for everyone and a lot depends on the chickens. For me I'll raise them with the flock with no barriers. Just seems much better for all of them but I have to say I do have some exceptionally good hens and the Roo watches over all.

As far as food goes, I put a chick feeder and waterer in the coop for the first few days then moved it outside when they went out. I now mix the chick crumbles in with the grower pellets since they are big enough to reach the big feeder. I started doing this because everyone was eating the chick feed anyway and it made life easier.

 

[Pstock44]

3 so far!!! Not sure if the photo will come up -

Congrats!!!

 

[wild chick]

Thank you Pstock44! Yes, I've decided to just let Momma do the teaching & protecting and all that. After all, I did it for her and chicks she rode in with! Of course I'll be going outside to check and check and check on them...

 

[Pstock44]

Thank you Pstock44! Yes, I've decided to just let Momma do the teaching & protecting and all that. After all, I did it for her and chicks she rode in with! Of course I'll be going outside to check and check and check on them...

Pretty much everyday consists of about an hour of "chicken TV". I go out and open the run and let them have supervised free range in the yard. This is when ALL of them, chicks and adults, are out grazing together. Maybe this is partly why I don't have to many issues with them. When they go back in they get their daily ration of scratch-feed and are as happy as a flock of chickens!

As a side note; since the 2nd set of 3 chicks could get through the run's fence from the day they were born I was worried sick for awhile because they were basically free ranging all day. Well, they never went more than 4-5 feet away and ran like crazy back into the run when something scared them. Mama always stayed at the fence near them too so they were still pretty well protected. It has been great watching them grow up this way.

 

[wild chick]

5 total from 9 eggs. One egg was pipped and peeping but Wynona said no. I put it under her and thought she & the chicks would stay with it but this morning she had a new nest and left the 3 "still" eggs and the one pipping had died. I'm letting Wynona call the shots. I said just try to save it, and sometime in the night she said no and moved the babies away. As I checked on them through out the day, other hens came & went to the nest boxes with no problem. In the late afternoon she had them outside the coop! When it was time to bring in the rest I had to help the littles up the ramp, and I'll check one more time tonight. I'm so happy that Mother Nature is doing it and I'm just watching!!! Here's Wynona showing them a spot in the sun with two hens on the nest boxes right above. No hassles from anyone.