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getting a new mommy chicken with 3-4 babies

Discussion in 'Managing Your Flock' started by jimmythechicken, Jun 27, 2010.

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  1. Jun 27, 2010 #1
    jimmythechicken

    jimmythechicken Songster

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    Jun 8, 2010
    mansfield
    we are getting a new chicken tomorrow an i had a few quistions.should she be fine in our coop with her babys? her babys looked to be 3 weeks old or so we have all younger bird about 25 birds any where from 3 weeks to 9 weeks.also sence she is the only laying bird i will have will she lay without having layer pellets right now we have chick starter, flock grower, cracked corn , an chicken scratch will she lay eating that or should i buy her some layer pellets? if we buy layer pellets will it be safe to have around the younger birds?any help please thanks to everyone who can share some info.i will post picks tomorrow to show you all the mommy with her babys he has no idea what kind of chicken it is.thanks jim
     
  2. Jun 27, 2010 #2
    LadyBeartoothMamma

    LadyBeartoothMamma Chirping

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    May 31, 2010
    Absarokee Montana
    thats a good question.. Me personally theres several options you might want to quarintine the new chicken and her babies for a week so the other chicks doing get potentinally sick. But I dont see why she shouldnt be in with the other young ones. She might adopt them all and be bigmomma hen [​IMG]
    Lets hope she will be nice to other babies.. theres also where you could introduce them slowly to the other chicks so they get use to each other. Thats what I am doing I have four 3 month olds and five 1 week olds and im introducing them slowly but surely to each other and its been interesting. Hope ive helped a little. but [​IMG] cool about getting a momma and her babies [​IMG]
     
  3. Jun 27, 2010 #3
    jimmythechicken

    jimmythechicken Songster

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    Jun 8, 2010
    mansfield
    my daughter has a one week old chck she just got in a trade for one of her roosters.do you think the momma wii adopt it?
     
  4. Jun 27, 2010 #4
    PunkinPeep

    PunkinPeep Songster

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    Mar 31, 2009
    SouthEast Texas
    You should definitely quarantine the new birds for 4 - 6 weeks in case they've been exposed to something they're not showing signs of.

    That mama hen is probably not laying right now. They generally don't lay while they're raising their babies. Also, change of location often causes a pause in laying for a month or so, so i wouldn't look forward to any eggs right now. She'll be fine eating the chicks' food for now.

    When you integrate them, you might want to keep a really close eye. Because of the age of the chicks, the mama may or may not protect them from the others when they integrate. You may need to put the newbies in an area that is visible but not accessible - like on the other side of some chicken wire - after their quarantine is over to give all the chickens a chance to get familiar with each other before they can do each other any harm.
     

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