Help Please! My broody hen hatched in with other chickens

[CamiLynn]

Here is my story as short as I can. Little hen went broody and tried to break her for 2 weeks. Finally went and got some fertile eggs from a friend and let her sit. Yesterday afternoon she was off the nest but puffed up and chasing everyone. Then noticed she wasn't sitting back on the nest. This morning notice one of the 3 eggs was missing from the hen box (which is about 3 ft off the ground) and the hen sitting on the ground, but wouldn't move even with the other chickens stepping on her. Also, the other two eggs were cold to touch this morning, but I left them just in case. This later this morning we all the sudden saw a head pop out from under the hen....she had hatched one. I checked the other eggs left in the box several times today and saw nothing. Then this afternoon I was just out checking on the new baby and looked in the hen box and there was a new hatchling out of one of the eggs!! We moved to her and she has taken the baby in.

Where I need help is...the other chickens are messing with the babies especially the new one who is still trying weak from hatching (I assume...this is my first time) Do we move her and her chicks to a safer location away from the other chickens, or will they be ok? They have pecked the chick walking around a couple times, but momma hen quickly calls it back under her. Just a worrier and want to make sure I am doing the best thing for them.

By the way...this is the coolest thing ever and I am so in love watching her love the babies

 

[SIMZ]

I would move them somewhere away from the rest of the chickens. I've heard too many sad stories about it............ Do a search on this and you should find some good ideas on what to do. We kept our broody in a divided off area in the run with a quickly constructed coop-like box. That way her and her chicks could run around and still be around the rest of the chickens without being in danger from them.

They are adorable to watch aren't they? Congratulations on the babies!

 

[Nsampsel]

The decision to move them or not is entirely yours. If you think mom is doing a sufficient job of protecting her babies then leave them there & avoid the stress of having to re-integrate them later. If you feel the babies are truly in danger from the other hens then by all means separate them. The best way to separate if you feel separation is necessary is to make an area for mom & babies where they can still see & be seen by the rest of the flock. This will aid the re-integration process. Try to make the separation as brief as possible to help mom avoid losing her place in the pecking order.

 

[CamiLynn]

Thank you! I think for now we are going to leave them. They have only messed with the babies a couple times and it was in a curious way. And so far the baby that is up walking around, knows how to get back to momma quickly! The other baby was still wet from hatching when I moved it down with the mom and I think it not moving much had a couple curious since we feed treat quite often and had been sitting there watching for a long time.

It is very neat that she hatched, but now I am worrying like crazy over the new babies!

 

[thebanthams]

I lost my baby chickie this morning, other hens were killing them, I would seperate them until they are big enough..

 

[mstricer]

If you have a small cage you can put her in, in the coop for a few days she will settle in and you wo t have to worry about others bothering her or her chicks.

 

[wfwolfe]

I separated mine . I saw the other hens pecking them, not a lot but once and a while, and I have mine in a chicken tractor. the coop part is off the ground. the babies had gotten down the ramp and onto the ground, it was raining really hard and they had gotten damp. right now they (both mom and chicks) are in a coop off the ground. they are safe and growing. they are a about three weeks old.

frank

 

[CamiLynn]

Well, seems like everyone so far agrees in moving and we were kind of on the fence about it. But, it seems like everyone agrees that it would be safer to move them, so we will be doing that this afternoon/evening.

Another question if I may...I have 4 other chicks (bought from a feed store) that are about 2 weeks old...can I put them in with the momma and her chicks or will she hurt them? Just curious becuase now we have to build a whole new area for them if I can't. LOL My "only 4 to 6 chickens" have turned into 23 and working on third coop! But....I love them!!

 

[CamiLynn]

BTW...here are a couple pics of the chicks...kind of hard to see the black one in the second pic.

 

[aoxa]

It all depends on the mother for me. If the mothers are small bantams that are low on the pecking order as it is, I will separate. If they were high up and are large, I watch closely to see how the hens protect their babies. I had one hen that didn't protect them at all. She just fed and kept them warm. I had another hen that would attack my dogs who were just passing. My silkies are separated from the flock right now because my duck keeps going after the broodies.

My silkies keep drop kicking my unsuspecting goslings who just want to be near ME.. So for the safety of everyone, they are in their own little area. I usually worry a lot less once the chicks hit 2 weeks.