Brood hen and chicks outside?????

[pieceonearth2u]

Hello, all. While we were diligently attending to the incubator and then the hatchlings, one of our two adult hens wandered off and hatched herself a family of 11 chicks in some undergrowth near our house.

Our chickens are free-range, but now we're wondering if the hen and new chicks will be safe outside or if we should confine them somewhere for protection from predators.

To complicate matters, we already have chicks at two very different stages of development, and now there are new ones.

PLEASE advise whether we should leave mama hen to do her thing or put her and the chicks in a safe place.

Thanks!!

Linda

 

[flock-mama]

That happened to me too, a mama hen had 11 eggs but 8 hatched, I did gather them up and put them in the nursery inside the coop. They are 4 weeks old now. I started to let them out 1 1/2weeks ago for about 20 mins at a time, just to be sure the BIG girls and Roo's wouldn't hurt the babies. Mama did her job and let everyone know these are her babies. Now they are out full time and I have 20, 3 week olds in nursery. LOL.

 

[beaker]

One of my hens did the same thing, she did such a good job protecting her babies (VICIOUS to the other chickens if they got too close) that the others quickly learned to avoid them. So we decided to leave them all with the rest of our chickens (we now have about 50!). Babies are now a few weeks old and doing fine.

 

[cajunlizz]

IMO ONLY :


I would gather them up and keep them all in protected area until they a couple to 3 weeks old . That way no predators can get to them or the mother . IF predator was to attack or kill the mother ( GOD FORBID ) you could not know soon enough to help and care for the lil ones ASAP . They could be attacked also . See my point ?

Also , you need to watch them close incase 1 or more start to show signs of illness or weakness .

 

[Jenlyn9483]

Definitely confine them in a safe place for at least 3 weeks or so. I would personally keep them in for at least a month at least at night. You cannot be too careful with baby chicks, If you have the means to protect them and give them a good start, then you may as well do it.