Help. Mama Hen goes in coop and leaves babies behind

[junior67]

Some pictures of my run, coop (you can see the brooder under the poop boards and one of the month old chicks), and mama sitting with babies under her. The gray thing in the run is the play yard. It is up on wood so all the babies can use it to get away from the big ones.

 

[junior67]

Here are all the solutions I can think of-

- Buy a dog kennel, $40 or so at tractor Supply, and put it in run. Buy a small waterer and feeder (probably $5-7, total if you have a regular mouth ball jar to put in the feeder. These will come in handy every time you have chicks). If you strap the waterer to a piece of 2x4" it can't fall over (we use 2 thick rubber bands)
- Build a different enclosure in run that she can't get out of (will come in handy everytime you have a broody with chicks)
- Make a ramp that is easier for chicks to get up and spend tomorrow making sure it works
- Bring them camping in said dog kennel. Even if she freaks out at least you know she and her chicks are safe
- Find more people to help you watch them (do you have a neighborhood forum?)
- Put the chicks in a brooder, ideally where she can still see them
- Don't go camping
- Leave and hope they are there when you come back

No one wants the last one, but that means you have to pick one or two of the other ones

There is no room in our camper for a kennel big enough for her and the chicks. And with my Rottie in the camper as well it is not safe.

I have a brooder already built in the coop but I have 12 4 week old chicks in there. I have 3 nipple waterers but 2 are in with the other chicks. I have 2 smaller feeders, 1 in the coop one in the coop brooder.

I have no time to build another ramp not any idea how to build one that would work better. The chicks can use this one, they go down fine and I guide them up at night and they go up fine. Only reason I have to guide them is because they think mom is in the run so try to go down not up. One time today when I made mom come out to try to call them. I brought her to the chicken door/top of the ramp. And had a chick on the bottom of the ramp that chick ran up to her. I was trying to get the 2nd chick but it kept running from me. Then mom came back out.

 

[Saveria]

I get all that, but there is no way that you can retrain her and her chicks to do the right thing in 48 hours with a 100% guarantee of their safety. So, you have to do something.

You keep saying "I can't" to each idea someone suggests. Why? I know you didn't wake up this morning setting out to argue with people on the internet, so why don't you think about what you can do (and try to keep an open mind to one of these things being possible). There has to be some solution, right?

 

[junior67]

I'm sorry, that sounded rude when I read it back. That is not what I was trying to do. It just seems like you've drawn yourself into a corner, and I wanted to try to encourage you to look at it differently.

Maybe you are feeling sad and/or frustrated that these little guys are throwing this at you right now, too (of all times). Why now, when you are trying to see your family, right?

I hope that something becomes illuminated and works for you. I will pray for a somewhat miraculous resolution till then .

if you read up above I did say I guessed I was going to have to put the playyard in the coop and hoped that worked to keep her and the babies in.... so I did try to think of something that would work. but I have to work, pick my daughter up from school, shop for camping, pick my daughter up from work, get camper ready so I really just do NOT have any time to build a new ramp or buy another dog crate (I have 2 that I just bought last year but my mom has 1 for her puppy and my puppy uses the other one now since I got him after the chicks outgrew it last year). I have a brooder built in my coop so building another one again I don't have time or space but will be a solution if ever needed for a broody and babies again. I am trying to think of things. As I said I do have someone coming over that i trust but she is also coming camping with us. I know she can come over Friday before she heads to the campground but not sure if mama will even be in the coop at that time and Sat after she leaves the campground but again I don't know what time. She is doing me a favor so I can't ask her to come over at a certain time but more when works for her.

I have been working on "training" them for the past 3 days since mama started bringing them out. I keep hoping they will finally get it and at least learn if they can't find mom then to go look in the coop.

 

[junior67]

one of the times mama went to go up the baby was on the ramp with her then baby jumped off as mama went to go in!! UGH! Then I went out to work on getting them up the ramp and she came out so I put one of the babies on the ramp and it ran right up to her. I think they just don't completely pay attention to mom and "lose" her when she goes in. And she doesn't really call them just expects them to be there.....

I will post the video of me going in to get them. I put my hand out and the incubator chick (the yellow one) will run right to me. then you can see when I put it on the ramp. This time I put it up kinda high since I wanted to get the other one quick. But then mom ended up coming down anyways.

Now mom is back in and babies are crying again so time to head back out and put them back on the ramp or try to get mom to go to the chicken door again and put them on the ramp to run up.

 

[junior67]

so twice this morning mama went back in the run and babies didn't follow. So I set up the playyard before I had to go to work and put them in it in the coop with food and water so I could see how it went before I went camping and how much food and water was eaten. Seemed to go well then about 10 min before I got home mama flew out of it and went into a nest box. I was going to let them out anyways to get some exercise since I am home tonight so I let the babies out (collected eggs that were already in that box.... and think mama laid today!) well then mama and babies went outside.

I was out there with the person that is going to check on them (had to make sure my roo wasn't a jerk to her) and mama went in a couple times and babies didn't follow but she came right back out and would walk around more with them. Well then after we left the coop I could hear a baby peeping loudly so figured mama went in with out them. Once we were done I went out to show babies the ramp again. Well I didn't see the babies in the run..... Went into the coop to look and they were in the box with mama!!!!!!

Watched back and she walked up the ramp and when about halfway up the darker baby jumped up on the ramp and followed her in. The yellow baby was yelling. Mama and dark baby ran back down the ramp. they all got a quick drink of water then mama went back on the ramp and walked up and both babies jumped up on the ramp and followed her in!!!!!!!!!

Should I try to lock them in and at least put a MHP in the play yard in case mama jumps out (I don't think should would jump back in) or where they followed her up and I know they can just let them be? My daughter will be home till around the time that they go in tomorrow night but not sure if she will do what needs to be done if I ask....

@Ridgerunner @Saveria

 

[junior67]

I think putting a chick in a coop at dusk isn't that tall of an order. I would definitely ask her to check.

It sounds like it is just that one chick that is still having a hard time. I would like to think their survival instincts would kick in, and they would find their way into the coop eventually, but having someone check at dusk would be more ideal for sure.

I think that she will jump out of the play yard as long as she is able to. Birds don't always think clearly about that kind of stuff. Is the MHP a heater? I was thinking that might solve the problem to have a heater they can go under if they are cold. Maybe you could just put a chick heater at the bottom of the ramp in case the yellow baby doesn't figure it out.

my girls will be leaving here to head to the campground a couple hours before dusk, but mama normally heads in around the time that they would leave. I may have my older one take a peek (or I can look on the camera and if I notice it out message her) and put it in if it is out.

an dnot that it is a tall order but....... She hadn't been out with the chickens in a while so when she went out a couple weeks ago my rooster jumped at her once, she was in there after that and he was ok but I was also in there by then. That is why I wasn't sure if she would do it because he was a jerk with her. My older one may since even though he did peck her the last time she let them out to free range he is normally good with her and she knows how to handle him (one is 19 and one 17 so not young, but think the 17 yr old is afraid of him). He is great with me, has pecked my husband a couple times but my husband puts him right in his place and he is fine. So I was SHOCKED when he jumped at my 17 yr old. I think it was more that she was a "stranger" so he was protecting his ladies.

the yellow chick is a bit more independent so wanders off a bit more think that is why it is still having a hard time as it doesn't always listen and likes to do it's own thing. hahaa. but hoping where she went to go get it and it did follow that maybe it will be smart enough to know where to look now??? We aren't leaving till mid afternoon so maybe she will come out and go in before then at least once so I can see how the chicks do.

ya I figured she would. She is a Cochin though so normally doesn't jump much besides to go on the roost so I was hoping where the play yard wasn't huge and on the taller side that she wouldn't attempt it. a MHP is a mama heating pad. so a heat source made with a heating pad. I could put it in the run and while my run is predator proof I do have rats that have figured out where the edge of the apron is and found their way in. so would be afraid to put it in the run and have the chicks stay there. The rats only ever go in when the big chickens are in the coop and it is dark out (and yes I am trying to trap them and get rid of them but it is a never ending battle but one I hope to win).

 

[Saveria]

So funny. Your boy doesn't sound that bad, but this was on the front page today...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/dealing-with-and-taming-aggressive-roosters.74600/

 

[junior67]

That makes sense. Roosters can be so hard sometimes. Do you think he would make a fuss if someone checks in while he is already on the roost? Mine just clucks at anyone, and I'm sure the chick wouldn't freeze by then.

We are lucky enough to not have rats (the smartest of the rodents, in my opinion), but I believe it is only because other alpha predators would get them first. They certainly put a wild card in the situation.

I am glad that it seems to be going in the right direction! I will be praying.

Once on the roost he would be fine I think.
When I had the person checking on them come into the run, I went in first and picked him up then had her come in and I put him down. He seemed ok with her in there then. So hopefully now that he has seen her in with me he won't be a jerk. I told her she could bring a rake in with her is she was worried.


Well been watching today and Ditzy was out with the babies then went in and babies went with her. Then they were back out. Then she went in and they just walked off.... They started peeping and she went back out. Haven't seen her go back in since, but fingers crossed I think they figured it out just in time...

 

[junior67]

So funny. Your boy doesn't sound that bad, but this was on the front page today...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/dealing-with-and-taming-aggressive-roosters.74600/

Lol. Too funny. And ya my boy normally isn't bad. Think he had stranger danger thoughts since they went in before me.