Do you leave hatched chicks with mama?

[Dsanchez]

I am taking care of a friend's chickens while they are out of town for a month. The 2 hens, of course, are now broody and laying on eggs. This is my friend's first time trying to hatch eggs and I have never. They have been sitting a week now.
Questions:
1- do I leave the chicks in with the hens? Hens are medium sized, 3 others in there- 2 are roosters but all 3 are bantams- a lot smaller than the hens. No obvious sign of fighting. The coop portion is also a pretty big climb for a chick, probably not happening up the ramp.
2. Do I need to give chick starter if they stay with the hens or will the normal pelleted feed be fine?
3. If I should take the chicks away after they are all hatched/dried- what do I need?

I know it is a lot, but all I can find is hatching in an incubator or free range leave with hen situations

 

[BYCforlife]

When I let my hen hatch some eggs, I put her in a separate enclosure, because my hens are very mean to each other. If your hens have never had problems together it should be okay, but I would reccomend letting her raise her chicks in a different location. Since it's not a good idea to move the eggs, I would block off her nesting box with chicken wire until the chicks hatch and dry, and then carefully move them into the new enclosure.

Chick starter is best, but they will survive on layer feed.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Can you talk to the owner and see what they want to do?

1- do I leave the chicks in with the hens? Hens are medium sized, 3 others in there- 2 are roosters but all 3 are bantams- a lot smaller than the hens. No obvious sign of fighting. The coop portion is also a pretty big climb for a chick, probably not happening up the ramp.

I leave the hen and chicks in with the flock, but my set-up and experience is different from yours. That ramp may be a problem. That also implies a pretty small coop. What I suggest is that after the chicks hatch you isolate the hen and chicks in a separate pen. Make sure the chicks cannot get through the wire and away from the hen's protection.

2. Do I need to give chick starter if they stay with the hens or will the normal pelleted feed be fine?

Give the hen and chicks Starter. Layer contains excess calcium which is not good for growing chicks. The hen is not laying eggs, she does not need the extra calcium. The pellets could be too big for the chicks to eat.

3. If I should take the chicks away after they are all hatched/dried- what do I need?

Exactly what you need if you get checks in the mail, from a fed store, or hatch them in an incubator. A dry brooder with a heat source, food, water, predator protection, and protection from the environment.