HeidiC
Hatching
- May 9, 2015
- 3
- 0
- 7
We had a hen hatch out 7 babies a couple of days ago! (And, there are still two broodies!) She hid in the woods and started a nest. We didn't find it until a few days before they hatched out. I understand her keeping the nest and babies away from the rest of the flock (mixed species), but one of our 2 toms has started hanging around with mom and babies day and night.
I am only used to chickens, so I guess my questions are this: Is it normal for a tom to latch onto a hen like this? Will the "family" come back to the flock/coop when the poults get bigger? (That's what most of our chickens have done.) I'm worried about predators, too, since tom keeps strutting around, gobbling, so everyone knows where they are. Will they "go wild" and never come back to the coop? They aren't hanging around the perimeter, like our chicken-moms do with their babies...they are way off by themselves. And, of course, with all the avian flu outbreaks, I'm worried about them coming in contact with wild turkeys and geese, which are common around here.
Thanks for any thoughts, advice, experiences.
I am only used to chickens, so I guess my questions are this: Is it normal for a tom to latch onto a hen like this? Will the "family" come back to the flock/coop when the poults get bigger? (That's what most of our chickens have done.) I'm worried about predators, too, since tom keeps strutting around, gobbling, so everyone knows where they are. Will they "go wild" and never come back to the coop? They aren't hanging around the perimeter, like our chicken-moms do with their babies...they are way off by themselves. And, of course, with all the avian flu outbreaks, I'm worried about them coming in contact with wild turkeys and geese, which are common around here.
Thanks for any thoughts, advice, experiences.