Can I take wk old's away from momma?

[Cloverleaf Farm]

I think it just really depends on the momma hen...I had a GLW that hatched 2 chicks, she went nuts when I took them away, but then I threw her some cracked corn, and it was "chicks? what chicks?? I got corn!!"

 

[Judy]

Could you promise them, but leave them with mama a while longer, both in case mama is the freak-out type and in case your sexing guess is right? Maybe your friend could even come visit if she's close by?

I had one kill her chicks as they hatched (I arrived during the last murder.) I had another who lost 4 of her 5 all in one day to a predator and she showed no sign of caring one bit, even though she is still sorta motherly to the one remaining, now around 9 weeks. I had two who took over mothering when the broody-mama was killed. You just never know about these silly chickens....

 

[Newbie chick 30]

I have one right now with her babies (about 3 weeks old). She went broody (1st time...bantam) and we didn't see her for 3 weeks and then came home with 10 babies. I was going to take them but a couple of people told me not to and that she would go to the coup and yadayadayada. That night she didn't come home but came back the next morning with all her babies...I thought well it will be ok. That afternoon 5 of them were floating in the water bowl. So I took the babies (I wanted her but couldn't catch her initially). She ran that yard screeching for her babies for an hr (so heartbreaking)...finally I took my net and caught her and put her with her babies (she immediately started making a purring noise). I also threw in a couple of silkie babies I had just bought and she is a great mom (she pecks me every time I even stick my hand in her cage to feed them...lol). Long story short...She is very dedicated and I can't bare to take them from her and I have no idea how long she plans to sit with them but i'm leaving her as long as she wants.

 

[Mama2B&D&...Chickens]

I don't want to take them from her by any means!!!

That's why I was thinking of keeping the one but i dont know if THATS a good idea b/c of the intro into the flock for both of them again...I just know I have someone who wants the chicks and have a feeling she's going to be one of those chickens who never wants to leave her babies...she's a BO and SUPER sweet...bottom of the totum pole and i'm halfway convinced she went broody to get away from the others. Lol. Poor momma...I'll just keep them with her a bit longer and see how things go...were not really set up for chickies so the bigguns have been a little messed up since they cant go in there "actual" coop part (which is ok, they NEVER slept in it...they sleep in the rafters-crazy chickens.) but I climb UP a ladder every night to put each other of there fuzzy chicken butts up to roost so they wont be too too mad at me.