Is it ok if a 2 week old chicken is acting like a mother to 4 4day old chicks? It looks right, but do you think this is going to be a problem in the future? ill get a picture as soon as possible.
Yep. I wouldn't exactly say it is normal but...It always happens to me. I don't know why, but last year when I went to buy food for my chickens, there was a tub full of baby Bramahs. As always, I ended up take one. It was a sweeet little chick with fluffy feet and--- Oh sorry I'll try to make this long story short. Anyway, I brought him home & put him in the brooder with my 3 week old BRs & RIRs. All the older chicks acted natural around him and never pecked at him. When it was bedtime, all the older chicks roosted except for one RIR who decieded the Bramah needed more warmth. So, she ended up being his mother. Have fun with your Under-The-Age poulet!
Last week, I put a 2 1/2 week old Barred Rock pullet in with my 4 1-week old packing peanut gang...Silver Laced Wyandotte boys. She was immediately their mom!! She tries to peck me if the boys squeal when I pick them up, she leads the way for them, she even bump s my hand and stares at me if I put my hand in and someone gets startled for a moment. Fiesty little thing for such a young "mother"! I named her "JieJie" which is Chinese for "big sister". I thought it quite appropriate.
I used my 7-8 week old runt dumdum chicken as mom/buddy for my single day old WCBP. Now if i take one out the other one squeals.
I had a staggered hatch about 3 months ago, had 3 eggs hatch (2 bantie size babies and one big ameraucana wyandotte mix) 2 weeks later the mama hen hatched out another 5 eggs and went after the first one that hatched out of the 5 so i ended up having to take her out of the broody pen and raise the babies myself with the help of my GLWD ameraucana mix. To this day he is their mama and they cuddle with him at night and follow him wherever he goes during the day. It's so amazing how a rooster could step up to the plate and be such a good mother to his siblings.
