I have 3 hens (1 EE & 2 Ameraucana) that sat on the same nest and co-hatched 12 pure blue & splash Ameraucana chicks a week ago. After a week of rain they finally took the babies outside of the coop into the run today. They are all first time broodies and mommas.
They were very attentive to the chicks all day, however when I went down to close up the coops this evening I found baby chicks outside running everywhere and peeping loudly for their moms. The 3 moms had taken 3 of the chicks and went to bed leaving the other 9 outside!
DH & I tried to catch the babies to put them in the coop without much success as the babies could run through the fence and were hiding in the woods. I finally grabbed one of the mommas and took her back outside where she called the babies and got them all inside.
Tomorrow I will be lining the run fence with chicken wire so they can't go through it. I'm going to have to keep a closer eye on the moms as it is apparent that they can't count their babies.
Some of the babies on the outside of the fence.
They were very attentive to the chicks all day, however when I went down to close up the coops this evening I found baby chicks outside running everywhere and peeping loudly for their moms. The 3 moms had taken 3 of the chicks and went to bed leaving the other 9 outside!
Tomorrow I will be lining the run fence with chicken wire so they can't go through it. I'm going to have to keep a closer eye on the moms as it is apparent that they can't count their babies.
Some of the babies on the outside of the fence.
