Broody Hen Just Hatched Babies

[anthonyjames]

How long before you should take them away? I think they hatched between last night and this morning as they were not there when I collected eggs last night.

Also, if I take them away now is it the same routine? Dip beak in water then let them be?

Or should I take the hen and place her in the brooder with the chicks for awhile and cover my brooder? It is 24" tall x 4 feet wide by 8 foot long.

She has been sitting on a clutch of 4 and 2 have hatched. I have a seperate brooder set up for them until they are ready to be with my other 125 birds that have arrived this week from the hatcheris.

 

[RAWR]

probly here soon

 

[anthonyjames]

Anyone out there got an answer? She is currently with 15 other hens and I don't want the little ones to be hurt..

 

[Chickielady]

oh you better seperate the broody and her chicks from the others if even for a while to see if she will turn out to be a good mama.
My other hens hate the broody, the broody being so bossy and nasty right now, so all the other girls hate her.
I have removed my broody from the other hens 2 weeks ago, and she is now in a big brooder size of yours and chicks will hatch soon.
Sometimes the broody will hatch out 1 or 2 and take off with them and leave the rest of the eggs to die, so watch closely !
In a brooder at least they will be relatively warm until you can intervene if necessary.
Good Luck !

 

[jen5680]

My broody just hatched 5 chicks and she is in with several other chickens. She takes care of them and doesn't
let the other chickens near her babies. I would just leave them with her if you can. it would be a nice experiment to
compair them with the chicks that aren't with a momma. I have been told that they are smarter ect if they get to stay
with momma so???

 

[TXmom]

I tried to let my broody Silkie raise the chicks she hatched, but she could not keep them safe. 2 of the 4 chicks vanished...I assume they were eaten by the big chickens or possibly a snake or something. So we took the broody and the 2 surviving chicks into the house and put them in the brooder with Ideal chicks we already had. After a while, it just became too difficult to juggle the Silkie, her 2 babies and the other chicks, so we let her go back outside and put her babies with the other chicks. Everything worked out fine that way.

She has just gone broody again as of yesterday, but this time we're going to set her up with her very own broody house where she and the babies will be outside but separate from the other chickens.

 

[anthonyjames]

Well I grabber her and now 3 chicks and moved them to the brooder. I also took the one remaing egg she was on. I must say before she would growl and hiss and once I got her in there away from all the others I slid the egg under her and her babies crawled right under and she seemed to relax even though I was standing over her.

I guess we will see how things go. I am not sure if I should take mommy and place her with my other chicks. I have another 125 not including what she had. Wonder if she would be ok in the brooder/tractor they are all in or if I should just remove the babies from her. I can't keep her and her chicks seperate as I have another 25 chicks coming next week. Or I may have to split what she is in to a 4 x 4 section. Decisions

And all I can say is if she goes broody again she may become a meal. We got the hens to be layers. And I am not sure I can keep broody hens although my girls love seeing the babies. I will see if she will go back to laying soon. Anyone know a time frame for that.

 

[Chief]

Quote:
Maybe I'm different than most, but I usually let the hen keep the chicks till they are about 45-50 days old unless she is being mean to them.