Help! We're grandparents!

[natemoore1986]

Just for grins, I let my sweetest buff orpington, who went broody, sit on four eggs. Haven't been really involved in this, except bringing her food and water, which she usually refused. Tonight, I noticed that she look very, very thirsty. I brought her a container full of water, and she drank and drank and drank. Then I noticed the fuzzy little things under her. Two of the four eggs have already hatched! What a surprise!

My coop/run set up is an elevated coop with a large, covered run below it. There is an additional run that the inner run connects to. She is in a nesting box inside the coop, and the rest of the flock is in with her: seven hens and a rooster.

What do I need to do? They're cage free, not free range, so the other adult chickens will ultimately be able to get to the chicks.

I can move them into my 24'x24' workshop for now, then build a temporary coop for them. Just need to get through these next few days. Hopefully, the other two will hatch soon.

Oh yeah, they hatched on mother's day. Pictures coming soon.

 

[natemoore1986]

 

[natemoore1986]

I've read on here that the hen will aggressively protect her chicks, and that the rooster will likely protect them as well. So, do I leave them in the approximately 144 SF run and hope they are protected by their parents, or should I remove the hen and her chicks to another cage, or should I remove the chicks from the hen and raise them in my workshop like I did the ones I got from the hatchery? I kind of want to watch her raise then.

 

[natemoore1986]

Okay. Guess I'll remove the chicks and put them in a cardboard box under the heat lamp like we did with the ones we got from the feed store. Thanks for the help!

 

[AngieMaesChix]

I’m rather surprised no one has answered but myself I would leave them with the flock..there’s an older post called when to separate hen and chicks from flock..if you search it you can read up on it..sorry I don’t know how to insert links yet haven’t done it...I agree with WalkingOnSunshines on the matter...but it doesn’t always turn out sometimes there’s a big bully but unless your seeing something going on I’d leave them be...

 

[AngieMaesChix]

I don’t quite understand taking the chicks from her if you were just gonna do that id have incubated instead...

 

[natemoore1986]

I don’t quite understand taking the chicks from her if you were just gonna do that id have incubated instead...

I guess the first obstacle is the tree branch ladder that leads up into the roost. The chicks won't be able to make their way up it, I don't think. They're not free range, so there would be no way for momma to get away from the rest of the flock. I really don't have time to build an alternate coop for her and the three chicks (waiting on one more to hatch). Plus, I've already successfully raised two different batches of store bought chicks under the heat lamp in my workshop with no fatalities. It just seems like the easiest and safest thing to do right now.

 

[gocgo]

Just for grins, I let my sweetest buff orpington, who went broody, sit on four eggs. Haven't been really involved in this, except bringing her food and water, which she usually refused. Tonight, I noticed that she look very, very thirsty. I brought her a container full of water, and she drank and drank and drank. Then I noticed the fuzzy little things under her. Two of the four eggs have already hatched! What a surprise!

My coop/run set up is an elevated coop with a large, covered run below it. There is an additional run that the inner run connects to. She is in a nesting box inside the coop, and the rest of the flock is in with her: seven hens and a rooster.

What do I need to do? They're cage free, not free range, so the other adult chickens will ultimately be able to get to the chicks.

I can move them into my 24'x24' workshop for now, then build a temporary coop for them. Just need to get through these next few days. Hopefully, the other two will hatch soon.

Oh yeah, they hatched on mother's day. Pictures coming soon.

I would move them to have their own area, but also exposed to the flock. So, if you have a dog or cat kennel and can put them on the floor, I would do that. The chicks and momma hen will be able to get in and out easily. The chicks will figure out in hurry to stay close to mom and not cross the line of intrusion into the rest of the flock.

 

[AngieMaesChix]

I guess the first obstacle is the tree branch ladder that leads up into the roost. The chicks won't be able to make their way up it, I don't think. They're not free range, so there would be no way for momma to get away from the rest of the flock. I really don't have time to build an alternate coop for her and the three chicks (waiting on one more to hatch). Plus, I've already successfully raised two different batches of store bought chicks under the heat lamp in my workshop with no fatalities. It just seems like the easiest and safest thing to do right now.

I’m not concerned about raising them in brooder and their health I’m sure you know what your doing..I’m referring to the hen she knows she has babies I wouldn’t want to take babies away from a mother..incubating and hatching and raising chicks is all good..but taking chicks from a mother who’s sat on them hatched and then taken away? Sorry and it’s just my opinion but I find it well to be frank mean...hens usually do a great job raising AND protecting their chicks..it’s their job...now the roost I’m not sure what u mean a step ladder up to the coop?? That may pose an issue but depending on set up could probably easily make a little ramp with little effort..I’m just saying how I think and feel..both ways are acceptable when raising chicks I’ve only ever brooded myself..I do plan letting mine hatch some next year but they will keep their babies and if theirs an issue within flock i don’t think there will be but I’ll be prepared even an dog crate etc something temporary would be better than taking her babies if she’s caring for them well..if your that worried could you bring momma in with babies?? And if she stays with the flock she won’t even bring them out of nest until she is comfortable doing so with the flock..and I’ve seen momma hens give others heck for even trying to get near babies..in the end a lot of this is personal opinion and what the owner feels is best.. I just hate see babies n mammas seperated if not needed like she rejects them...

 

[ewerbos]

This is similar to what we just started, maybe a week later! Our flock is free-ranging, however. We have six adult (just) hens, and eight pullets not yet in the coop but free-ranging at the same time. We had one of our BOs go broody, also, and got her a dozen hatching eggs. After they were all hatched, we moved her to a box on the floor in the coop, which we keep open during the day and close up at night. It is actually the brooder we had inside with the bottom removed; the chicks can't get out, even if it is open, but she could. We haven't seen any issues with the flock (so far, in less than a week!), but again, we free range, so nobody is hanging around nearby during the day. Sometimes I've seen the hens jump in the box with momma and the babies, but they all seem well behaved.