Broody Serama on eggs - can she keep her chicks in the coop?

[Chickeygirl]

I'm hoping some of the more experienced chicken peeps out here can give me some advice!

I have 11 seramas, 2 roos and the rest hens. 2 of my girls went broody, and are sitting the eggs that were laid. I had to pull 27 eggs to make it reasonable for them! The ones in the incubator are hatching as of yesterday, so I'm guessing the ones outside will be hatching soon as well. The coop is not huge - perfect if you are a serama, but not for anything bigger, with 8 nest cells at the top (problem if the chicks come tumbing down).

Can my broody keep her chicks or should I pull them when they hatch for their own safety? I'm concerned the other older birds might peck them, or they might get hurt some other way (falling out of the cells). I can move the broody and the eggs to a brooder box, but then will she be ok to go back when she's not got the babies? I sure don't want to do anything before the chicks hatch - I did not get (so far) a good hatch out of my incubator.

The other question with this - we have had some problems with some of our other birds - from what I can see from searching the site - I have a bird that may have wet fowl pox. I pulled her out of the cochin/jersey pen last night, am getting Fish Zole today, and treating with Tylan as well. Everyone will get treated, even the seramas. My Seramas, because they are kept in their own private area have not been exposed directly and are all healthy. Based on the problems I seem to be having with the others - should I pull the babies just to be safe anyway? I know I'll lose some chicks, it's just the way things go sometimes, but I'm trying SO hard not to expose these to anything. They are fed first, along with the tractor out back, and the problem birds fed last, but I know it's so easy to make them all sick if I'm not really careful. That said - we are no in/all out for now. I'm just hoping I can keep my seramas ok, and this means the new babies as well.

Thanks in advance

 

[gritsar]

Keeping in mind that I don't have seramas....

I have had five clutches of chicks hatched by broodies in a coop with alot of different breeds and roosters. I keep mama locked in a crate in the coop for a few days before hatching (so no one disturbs her during such a critical time) and for a few days after hatch. Mama tells me when she's ready to bring the chicks out to meet the flock, usually by day 3. The chicks grow up strong and healthy and I don't have to worry about intergration issues later on because the chicks are part of the flock from day one. My only job is to make sure the nests are at floor level and that there are chick-sized feeders and waterers available to them.

Twice I've had to move a broody to a better location (into the crate, at floor level). This is best accomplished at night.

I have no experience with fowl pox, so I can't help you there. Sorry.

 

[DawnM]

We always pull the hen and chicks right after they all hatch. They stay under the mama hen for a while so they are safe in the coop until they are all hatched. Then we move them inside into a laundry basket for a few days so they can get stronger and eat their medicated food. The moms don't leave the basket if the babies can't get out, at least not for a while. When the chicks are with their moms outside, most of the other chickens ignore them. That does mean if a chick is between them and something they want they will mow them over. The moms (and our alpha roo) don't let the chickens that will peck at the babies get anywhere near them. That would depend on the personalities in the flock though. We only have a Serama roo but from what I hear the hens are pretty docile.