I have two broody hens in the coop, they both started sitting about the same time, and the eggs should be hatching sometime Monday or Tuesday... They are not separated from the rest of the flock we tried and it turned into a miserable FAIL. The flock pretty much free ranges, and only goes in their to lay eggs, their food is outside under the coop, and they even most often sleep on top of the coop and in the tree's. I am worried about the chicks when they hatch. Is there anything I need to watch for to make sure these young pullets (they are only 7 months.) are taking care as they need to of the chicks. With the other hens and one roo around is their anything I need to do to keep an eye on them? Is the deep litter method safe for baby chicks? Thanks, Christal
I've not had any problems with chicks being harmed when my broodies hatch in the main coop, but I only let the girls that are midway and up in the pecking order attempt it. The low on the totem pole girls hatch in seperate pens to avoid potential problems. I think it really depends on your flock, if you have any chooks that are major bullies you'll be more likely to have problems.
The only problem I have seen is that one time the broody did not take them out of the coop to get food and water. She could not even find the water I had in the coop for them so I had to teach one chick how to drink. It was really weak. Usually that is not a problem. That only happened to me once. It was that broody's first (and last) hatch. She was well over a year old. Some are just better broodies than others. I wound up locking them in a small pen for a couple of days until they learned to eat and drink, then let them roam with the flock. I can't say she did OK. I have had other broodies raise as many as 15 chicks with no real help from me, but that broody would not have gotten any of her four to live if I had not intervened a few times. Her favorite trick was to walk out a gate and turn the corner, leaving some of her chicks on the other side of the fence. She did not keep them with her as she went out the gate and could not figure out to go back to the gate to get them. The rest of my chickens did not bother the chicks that were trapped on the wrong side of the fence and sometimes the rooster would go over and lay down on the ground where he could watch them. I'm just venting on that one hen. The rest have never had any real problems raising thier chicks. It is sometimes a good idea to lock them up for a day or two until they get used to eating and drinking, but if you do that, the hen will want to take her chicks back there every night. Just something to consider. Most hens do fine with no intervention from me.
