so the chicks are 6 days old as of tonight. 1 hatched under mama, 1 in an incubator the same night and I gave it to her the next day. she has been a great mom (they hatched last Tue night). She took them around the coop the first couple days here and there, calls them to eat and drops food for them etc. on Sat she took them out to the run the first time. My coop is raised so there is a ramp. and the babies did/do great going down it. Mama went out a couple times and left the babies in the coop the first few days but for short little outings.
Well now around 5:30-6pm mama goes back in the coop (the rest of the crew doesn't go in until closer to 8pm). Well I watched tonight and she jumps up about 1/4 of the way up the ramp and then walks in. I think the babies lose her when she jumps up on it. So they are left outside peeping for her. She just goes in and heads to her nest box. Thankfully I have a camera in the coop and run and have been home so peek in often around that time so I can head out and put the chicks at the bottom of the ramp (the little yellow one that hatched in the incubator will come running over to me when I put my hand down and jump in my hand when it can't find mama and the darker one more follows or I have to catch it) then I use my hand to guide them up the ramp and into the coop (I have 4 week old chicks that are also running around the coop so sometimes they are loud and I think the babies can't hear mama so they try to run back out so I have to go in and guide them in further into the coop until they hear her then they go running and jump in the box with her. I have done this the past 3 nights.
My problem is we are going camping Thurs-Sun. I have someone stopping to check on Fri and Sat night and 1 daughter MIGHT be home around that time Thurs. But I am not sure what time the person checking on Fri and Sat will be checking. So I am worried the chicks won't have this figured out by then and will get stuck outside along all night! Should I bring mama out of the nest box and put her at the bottom of the ramp to walk up it the next 2 days so the chicks can follow her? She I just keep showing the chicks how to get up and walking them up it? I don't just put them in the coop because I am hoping they figure out to head there and go up to see if mama is in there if they can't find her. But what do I do for the next 2 days????? And what do I do if they don't figure it out by Wed night since I will be gone the next 3 nights???
sorry for the long read hope some of you made it through and have some ideas.
Well now around 5:30-6pm mama goes back in the coop (the rest of the crew doesn't go in until closer to 8pm). Well I watched tonight and she jumps up about 1/4 of the way up the ramp and then walks in. I think the babies lose her when she jumps up on it. So they are left outside peeping for her. She just goes in and heads to her nest box. Thankfully I have a camera in the coop and run and have been home so peek in often around that time so I can head out and put the chicks at the bottom of the ramp (the little yellow one that hatched in the incubator will come running over to me when I put my hand down and jump in my hand when it can't find mama and the darker one more follows or I have to catch it) then I use my hand to guide them up the ramp and into the coop (I have 4 week old chicks that are also running around the coop so sometimes they are loud and I think the babies can't hear mama so they try to run back out so I have to go in and guide them in further into the coop until they hear her then they go running and jump in the box with her. I have done this the past 3 nights.
My problem is we are going camping Thurs-Sun. I have someone stopping to check on Fri and Sat night and 1 daughter MIGHT be home around that time Thurs. But I am not sure what time the person checking on Fri and Sat will be checking. So I am worried the chicks won't have this figured out by then and will get stuck outside along all night! Should I bring mama out of the nest box and put her at the bottom of the ramp to walk up it the next 2 days so the chicks can follow her? She I just keep showing the chicks how to get up and walking them up it? I don't just put them in the coop because I am hoping they figure out to head there and go up to see if mama is in there if they can't find her. But what do I do for the next 2 days????? And what do I do if they don't figure it out by Wed night since I will be gone the next 3 nights???
sorry for the long read hope some of you made it through and have some ideas.
