Baby chicks

[KAJ]

I have read many discussions on how to introduce chicks into the flock when they don't have a their mama to protect them. I'm having trouble finding advice on when I should introduce mom and two chicks back into flock. They are two weeks old and I don't think the hen is having much fun being away from the flock. She is losing a lot feathers. I'm feeding her grubs, herbs and adding supplements to water. I took her outside yesterday with her chicks in a fenced area next to the coop and she loved it!

I have found one post where the info said mom would protect the chicks and to just put them in the coop at night and hope for the best. I'm not one to just hope for the best unless that's my only option. Obviously, I'm new at this!

 

[JaeG]

If she and the babies have been in view of the rest of the flock it should be fine as they will remember who she is.

Do you have a dog crate or small cage that would fit in your coop? That way you could put them in there and gauge how the rest of the flock react.

Broodies can protect their brood but if they are low in the pecking order they struggle more. Generally its fine unless you have a real bully in the flock.

 

[Ridgerunner]

She is losing a lot feathers.

Have you checked her for mites or lice, that can cause feather loss.

I've had a hen molt while raising chicks. If you are south of the equator especially I'd suspect a molt.

I have found one post where the info said mom would protect the chicks

My broody hens hatch with the flock and raise their chicks with the flock from hatch. My broody hens have always protected their chicks no matter where they are in the pecking order. Other people have had different results. In my opinion the more room the broody has to work with the better but you don't get guarantees about chickens and their behaviors no matter how much or how little room they have.

Each broody hen is an individual. Every other chicken in your flock is an individual. You never know for sure how any individual will react, some just don't have the right instincts. We get different results. I've never lost a young chick to another adult flock member and I have around three or four broody hens raise their chicks with the flocks each year. Most of my hens pretty much ignore the chicks. My roosters are never a problem. Other people have lost chicks.

just put them in the coop at night

In your situation that's not how I'd do it. I'd put the broody hen and chicks in with the others in the morning when I could be around and check on them during the day. Give all the chickens a chance to get to know each other before you lock them in a little room together. The more room they have the better.

A lot of the time it is this easy. Sometimes it doesn't work. Each chicken is an individual, each flock has it's own dynamics. Sometimes it really is this easy.

and hope for the best.

No matter what you do there are risks. But don't just hope. Try it and monitor. Base your actions on what you see.

I think your best chance for a smooth integration is to put them in with the others before Mama stops taking care of them. At two weeks it should not be too late. If your area is so tight she doesn't have much room to work with your chances of success go down, but you will likely have integration problems later in that tight space anyway.

Good luck!

 

[aart]

I let my broodies hatch in the coop behind a wire wall.
I take down the wall about a week or two after hatch.
It's a crap shoot how well it might go, there are always some rather exciting hen fights while mama fits back into the pecking order, but they rarely last too long.

 

[KAJ]

If she and the babies have been in view of the rest of the flock it should be fine as they will remember who she is.

Do you have a dog crate or small cage that would fit in your coop? That way you could put them in there and gauge how the rest of the flock react.

Broodies can protect their brood but if they are low in the pecking order they struggle more. Generally its fine unless you have a real bully in the flock.

I've been putting them outside with the rest of the flock on the other side of the fence. The hens actually seem to be communicating and getting alone really well. But for all I know they could be telling her they're going to eat those little nuggets!

I wish we had never taken her out of the coop but we did and now we have to fix our mistake. We're newbies and learning.

I think we're going to make the move in the next couple of nights. Mama needs to get out of her dog kennel.

My next move is to show Little Man who's boss. If that doesn't work......

Thank you for responding to me. I'm sure they'll be fine. I'm the one who's worried about everything.

 

[KAJ]

Have you checked her for mites or lice, that can cause feather loss.

I've had a hen molt while raising chicks. If you are south of the equator especially I'd suspect a molt.


My broody hens hatch with the flock and raise their chicks with the flock from hatch. My broody hens have always protected their chicks no matter where they are in the pecking order. Other people have had different results. In my opinion the more room the broody has to work with the better but you don't get guarantees about chickens and their behaviors no matter how much or how little room they have.

Each broody hen is an individual. Every other chicken in your flock is an individual. You never know for sure how any individual will react, some just don't have the right instincts. We get different results. I've never lost a young chick to another adult flock member and I have around three or four broody hens raise their chicks with the flocks each year. Most of my hens pretty much ignore the chicks. My roosters are never a problem. Other people have lost chicks.


In your situation that's not how I'd do it. I'd put the broody hen and chicks in with the others in the morning when I could be around and check on them during the day. Give all the chickens a chance to get to know each other before you lock them in a little room together. The more room they have the better.

A lot of the time it is this easy. Sometimes it doesn't work. Each chicken is an individual, each flock has it's own dynamics. Sometimes it really is this easy.


No matter what you do there are risks. But don't just hope. Try it and monitor. Base your actions on what you see.

I think your best chance for a smooth integration is to put them in with the others before Mama stops taking care of them. At two weeks it should not be too late. If your area is so tight she doesn't have much room to work with your chances of success go down, but you will likely have integration problems later in that tight space anyway.

Good luck!

Thank you. I could never just put them in at night and hope for the best. I don't trust any them! Even my sweet little hens are sly little ladies who, I believe, could turn on a dime. At least the rooster is open about his attitude. But he is truly all about protecting his flock and he does that very well.

I'm planning on taking my computer outside tomorrow, working remotely and watching them as the unite with the flock.

 

[Auntiejessi3]

 

[Mrs. K]

ASAP Get them in there. Broody hormones are high at hatching, and begins to fall after than, often times they are GONE by week four. Broody hormones are what causes a mama to defend the chicks. Once the hormones disappear, hens forget they ever had chicks. And about that time is when new broody hen people start thinking about adding them back to the flock, and it is a disaster.

A lot depends on how you did it. If you separated the hen at the beginning of the setting, she is a totally strange bird to the flock. If they were or have been in sight of the flock the whole time, but separated, it is not quite a stranger, but it is not a go either.

A LOT depends on on your set up. Does it have hide outs, does it have places where a hen can strategically defend them such as a corner? A lot of people on here will show empty runs, where as, every bird in the run can see every other bird in the run 100% of the time - and that causes a lot of problems.

If you have clutter in there. Pallets, ladders, sawhorse, boxes, totes, mini walls, multiple feed stations set up so that, a bird eating at one sight cannot see a bird eating at another site, then this is what I would do ASAP:

1. Let the layers out, mid morning. I would not lock them out, but I would chase them out a ways. Mine love getting out, but when they are out, one or two come back into the run, and leave at will, others come back in later and leave. Relaxed, that is what you want.
2. I would put the broody hen in the run, with the chicks, watch what she does with them, a pallet up on blocks, but very close to the ground can be very helpful near her chosen spot. I would put feed on one edge, near her, so that the chicks can eat it, under the pallet, and she can defend it.
3. Keep a close look out, but some birds will come back in, and that is good. She can manage against a few birds. One bird against 15, is considerably different than one bird against two or three.
4. Watch the broody, she should puff up, big time, change her cluck, and establish her space for her and the chicks.
5. Do put clean bedding in the coop, as in the late afternoon, much earlier than the layers will go in, she will go in and make a nest for her and the chicks. Clean out the whole floor, and let her pick where she wants. I have several times tried to encourage her, but she has NEVER liked what I thought was good. I quit trying. However, if it is directly under the roosts, I do and try set up a "roof" over her, sometimes better than others.

Soon after hatching, hormones are high, sooner is better.

Mrs K

 

[Ridgerunner]

I have several times tried to encourage her, but she has NEVER liked what I thought was good.

Hilarious but oh so true.

 

[KAJ]

ASAP Get them in there. Broody hormones are high at hatching, and begins to fall after than, often times they are GONE by week four. Broody hormones are what causes a mama to defend the chicks. Once the hormones disappear, hens forget they ever had chicks. And about that time is when new broody hen people start thinking about adding them back to the flock, and it is a disaster.

A lot depends on how you did it. If you separated the hen at the beginning of the setting, she is a totally strange bird to the flock. If they were or have been in sight of the flock the whole time, but separated, it is not quite a stranger, but it is not a go either.

A LOT depends on on your set up. Does it have hide outs, does it have places where a hen can strategically defend them such as a corner? A lot of people on here will show empty runs, where as, every bird in the run can see every other bird in the run 100% of the time - and that causes a lot of problems.

If you have clutter in there. Pallets, ladders, sawhorse, boxes, totes, mini walls, multiple feed stations set up so that, a bird eating at one sight cannot see a bird eating at another site, then this is what I would do ASAP:

1. Let the layers out, mid morning. I would not lock them out, but I would chase them out a ways. Mine love getting out, but when they are out, one or two come back into the run, and leave at will, others come back in later and leave. Relaxed, that is what you want.
2. I would put the broody hen in the run, with the chicks, watch what she does with them, a pallet up on blocks, but very close to the ground can be very helpful near her chosen spot. I would put feed on one edge, near her, so that the chicks can eat it, under the pallet, and she can defend it.
3. Keep a close look out, but some birds will come back in, and that is good. She can manage against a few birds. One bird against 15, is considerably different than one bird against two or three.
4. Watch the broody, she should puff up, big time, change her cluck, and establish her space for her and the chicks.
5. Do put clean bedding in the coop, as in the late afternoon, much earlier than the layers will go in, she will go in and make a nest for her and the chicks. Clean out the whole floor, and let her pick where she wants. I have several times tried to encourage her, but she has NEVER liked what I thought was good. I quit trying. However, if it is directly under the roosts, I do and try set up a "roof" over her, sometimes better than others.

Soon after hatching, hormones are high, sooner is better.

Mrs K

Thank you. I could never just put them in at night and hope for the best. I don't trust any them! Even my sweet little hens are sly little ladies who, I believe, could turn on a dime. At least the rooster is open about his attitude. But he is truly all about protecting his flock and he does that very well.

I'm planning on taking my computer outside tomorrow, working remotely and watching them as the unite with the flock.

I have checked for mites and I don't see anything.
I'm pretty sure she's going to want to go in the nesting box, which is her favorite spot. I'm just going to have to watch and figure this out. Great ideas here. Thank you!