Broody hen hatching now, what to do

[mudchicken]

Hi I had a barred rock go broody so I figured what the heck, I'll see if my Bantu roo can bread standards. He did. She has one hatched so far, looks a day old or 2. She is very protective and the chick sticks close to her and the nest. My concern is it's 60 out now and will be 40 tonight and tomorrow night. I did plan in putting them in the basement with a lamp till they got big enough. When I take the chick the hen goes nuts and gets off the best. If I take the chick away will she abandon the nest? I wanna make sure the little one stays warm but don't want the hen leaving the nest in case more hatch. What to do?!?!

 

[mudchicken]

Here's the little guy

 

[donrae]

Leave the chick with momma! Momma's perfectly capable of keeping her babies warm. You're stressing her by taking her chick. She's supposed to hang out on the nest for a few days to let any stragglers hatch, and that first baby just stays with her, cozy and warm under her.

I have a hen brooding week old chicks outside right now. It's in the 50s this am, and the chicks are running around eating and doing little chicky things, they're just fine. They go under momma for a while, warm up, then get on with their day.

 

[mudchicken]

Ah cool thank you so much. Just checked again and she's by her side. Checked the open nest and there's another one about to hatch

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

X2 with @donrae. Let nature take its course and Mum do her job she is obviously a good hen because she is upset when you take the chick.

 

[bobbi-j]

Agreed - leave the chick with mama and also stay away from the nest for a day or two. Just let her do her job, and then you can check. As stated above, all you're doing now is causing your broody unneeded stress. I know, it's so tempting, though, and hard to wait to see those cute little chicks!

 

[mudchicken]

This makes me feel better. Dad is a feather footed black banty. Mom is either a New Hampshire, Rhode Island Red, or a barred rock. Kinda near that the bantam got to breed a standard

 

[mudchicken]

At any point should I take the chicks inside till they get older?

 

[cafarmgirl]

At any point should I take the chicks inside till they get older?

Why? If the hen is a good broody/good mother why not let her raise them?

 

[bobbi-j]

At any point should I take the chicks inside till they get older?

I wouldn't. Broody-raised chicks seem to be much healthier, smarter about predators and just better off in general. She'll teach them to be chickens, let them in with the flock anytime within the next couple of weeks and they'll be well integrated by the time they're "weaned". This worked well for me when my first broody of the season was killed when her babies were a month or so old. They were already part of the flock.