I have a bantam Mama Hen who hatched out chicks about 2 weeks ago. They are all at least part bantam so they are a little smaller than standard sized chicks but not by much. I have them in a chicken tractor right now, but would like to let them free range some. I let all my chickens free range, full time. My problem is, I have like 20 roosters right now from various hatches. They are well past slaughtering age as we were waiting for them to fill out a little more, so they are plenty big enough to kill a baby chick. One of them did kill an older chick of mine, but he was without a Mama and was always leaving his brothers and sisters to try to hang around the more cocky, aggressive roosters.
Would she be able to protect her babies from the roosters? The roosters have always listened to her and she has never had a problem chasing them away from the food when she wanted, despite her size difference. But that was 2 weeks ago. She has been separated from them for a while. (They can still see her and visit her every day, she just hasn't been out with them.) I had her and my bantam rooster separated from the flock for over a month, without the others even being able to see her at one point (for breeding) and after I let her out it took her less than 5 minutes to show the others who was boss again. Do you think she and the babies would be ok?
Would she be able to protect her babies from the roosters? The roosters have always listened to her and she has never had a problem chasing them away from the food when she wanted, despite her size difference. But that was 2 weeks ago. She has been separated from them for a while. (They can still see her and visit her every day, she just hasn't been out with them.) I had her and my bantam rooster separated from the flock for over a month, without the others even being able to see her at one point (for breeding) and after I let her out it took her less than 5 minutes to show the others who was boss again. Do you think she and the babies would be ok?
