do I allow our hen to raise her babies??

[graceandglory26]

[/IMG]OK, I'm new at this. When we bought our chicks we went to tractor supply picked the cutest ones and have been learning as we go. We have a lot of predators where we live so our chickens are in the coop with an attached run. For over a year and we had no hens sitting on their eggs. Then one day our chicken Lola would not get off her eggs and was growling at me. The other chickens started eating her beloved eggs when she would get up to eat drink or poop. so I purchased a small chicken tractor and removed her with four of her eggs and she happily sat on them and hatched three out. I made the mistake of chucking a cracked egg which, with some research I realized it was probably fine. Rookie mistake. from watching a YouTube video it looks like I have two hens and one cockerel. they are adorable but I want them to have their best chance. What do I need to know or do about a hen raising her chicks. what's the best living arrangement for them, when do I put them in the main coop and run with the rest of the girls. what do they need to eat, do they need extra heat or is momma enough? Any advice would be great!

 

[tobit]

Chicks are conventionally fed chick crumbs, these contain all the nutrition a chick requires until they go onto grower pellets and then later food. Most people separate their broody and chicks from the main flock (like you have) if they have a coop and run, this is what I've done in the past. The more space, the earlier you can reintroduce the broody with hicks to the flock, although I'd wait at lest a couple of weeks. The broody hen will provide everything the chicks with heat, will teach them to eat, drink and how to... Chicken!! The broody will likely take the chicks out on a little outing in their tractor on day 2-4, this is lovely to watch but I'd make sure the wire is small enough so no chicks fit through, and any ramp is so that a chick can make it up again! The hen will care for all the chick's needs as long as you provide food an water. Make sure the chicks can't drown in the waterer! Happy chick-watching!

 

[Folly's place]

I feed broodies and their chicks Flock Raiser, and let the group mix with the flock as soon as momma is ready; usually about five days after hatching. She takes care of them, and my job is to have the Flock Raiser available and safe waterers for the babies. Everything at chick level, and plenty of space. In tight quarters things might not go as well. They integrate into the flock right away, easy. Mary